And all because
Estate Managers
love...
...complex refurbishment projects being
made more manageable by scheduling
work for optimum convenience!
Co-ordinating trades, disruption for students, access to rooms,
and mess are just four of the reasons why the decision to upgrade student
accommodation heating systems may be kicked into the long grass.
But this means losing out on the energy cost savings and other
benefits associated with installing Prefectirus - the only cost effective,
centrally controlled, multi-occupancy energy management system,
from Prefect Controls.
Accommodation refurbs are usually scheduled for when rooms are
vacant, but this can cause ‘trades congestion’. PrefectDirect has
honed its service so that they are in and out of rooms swiftly, at any time,
leaving most students unaware any work has been carried out - meaning
refurbishment work that does require empty rooms, such as decorating,
can be scheduled, uninterrupted, for the summer months.

SRIA is delighted to announce it
has extended the scope of its UKAS
(United Kingdom Accreditation
Service) accredited testing to include the
latest version of the high temperature fan
standard BS EN12101-3:2015 and the heat
pump standard BS EN14825:2016.
Following over a decade of testing to the
original version of 12101-3, the move to the
2015 version demonstrates BSRIA’s
commitment to supporting fan
manufacturers in CE marking their
continually developing product ranges.
Further enhancements in testing
capability are planned to ensure operation
with inverters can be demonstrated
when required.
BSRIA operates a specialist heat pump
test facility offering clients testing in

with the assurance they are getting
internationally recognised quality test data.
Independent laboratory testing gives
confidence to customers and consumers
and plays an important role when
delivering a product to market.
We are delighted both the high
temperature fan and the heat pump test
standards were approved simultaneously.”

Read more about the Standards:
http://shop.bsigroup.com/ProductDetail/?pid=000000000030218111
http://shop.bsigroup.com/ProductDetail/?pid=000000000030323335
More information at www.bsria.co.uk

New EU research tool makes energy
planning for governments easier

A

n EU-funded research project has
launched a tool that allows European
governments, businesses,
consultants, academics, planners and
energy enthusiasts to assess thermal
resources and thermal demand in any
given region.
The Pan-European Thermal Atlas
(Peta4), launched today in Brussels, is an
interactive online map of the heating and
cooling demand, efficiency and supply in
Europe. Created by the Heat Roadmap
Europe (HRE) project, it provides visual
and technical data for heating and
cooling projects, giving users an
appropriate analysis tool and easier access
to relevant data.
David Connolly, HRE project coordinator,
said: “For years, power plants, industry, and
waste incinerators all across Europe have
been throwing away enormous quantities
of heat and for the most part, this has gone
unnoticed. Peta4 enables policymakers,
planners, suppliers and researchers to
identify hotspots so they can replace the
energy created by fossil fuel boilers with
this excess heat instead.”
Connolly added: “It’s amazing how much
heat is being wasted in cities that currently
spend millions on natural gas to heat their
buildings. This tool will help save money,
carbon emissions, and energy
consumption. Cities can meet their EU

energy targets while also cutting costs
for consumers.”
Peta4 covers the 14 EU member states
that are part of the Heat Roadmap Europe
project. Developed by project partners at
Halmstad University, European University
Flensburg, and Aalborg University, it
creates maps with specific and realistic data
on the location and scale of heat demand
and excess heat, which will facilitate the
development of energy system solutions
across Europe.
Users can search for a specific location,
to analyse the feasibility of a project in an
area and assess where, for example, district
heating or heat pumps could be
economically viable. Peta4 contains a
100 m resolution grid of the modelled heat

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

demand in 2015, which visualises where
district heating networks could be
implemented. This is combined with a layer
presenting the excess heat supply available
from various large-scale plants and
industries, to show how these new district
heating networks could supply their
heat demand.
The maps use openly accessible spatial
geo-data from the European Commission,
the European Environmental Agency and
Eurostat. They are produced and funded
under the framework of the European
Union’s Horizon 2020 research and
innovation programme.
To access the Peta4 maps, visit:
www.heatroadmap.eu/maps.php

News

Social housing ‘state of the
nation’ retrofit survey
highlights data is key to success
doing more of what it does very well
– innovating in the field of energy
efficiency to overcome the challenges.
•

A

report analysing the results from
a new ‘state of the nation’ survey
carried out by the National Energy
Foundation, Capita and the University of
Salford highlights the UK social housing
sector’s views on opportunities, challenges
and progress in energy-efficient retrofit.
Conducted in September 2016, as a
follow-up to the 2010, 2013 and 2015
surveys, the respondents were responsible
for the management of an estimated 2
million properties; around 50% of the total
UK social housing stock.
The survey was conducted in light of the
growing market challenges:
•
Need to cut social rents by 1% per
annum until 2020.
•
Welfare Reform (Universal Credit,
benefit cap changes, Pay to Stay,
under occupancy).
•
Reduced local authority funding for
supported living.
•
Right to Buy.
•
Uncertainty of a post-Brexit UK.
•
Pressure to increase new supply.
The survey results identify a series of
insights and findings:
•

Social housing providers are willing
and able to deliver
The social housing sector is clearly
investing in retrofit, with £120 million
having been injected in the last 12
months from the survey sample alone.
In addition, as reliance on funding
for retrofit continues to diminish and
volatility in the sector increases, it is

The importance of good data to
make a sound business case for
retrofit
Better data underpins intelligent asset
management, and a more holistic and
integrated approach to strategic
thinking facilitates:

•
•
•

A clearer business case for retrofit.
More robust investment strategies.
Better energy efficiency through the
optimisation of work programmes and
exploiting new technologies.

Technology adoption and
performance monitoring
and evaluation
The demands placed on social housing
providers and their assets have evolved
considerably in recent years, with
providers needing to think far more
strategically about how they monitor
performance and invest/divest in their
portfolios. The sector must ensure that the
foundations and infrastructure are in place
for analysing the ever-growing volume of
data. This is an area where the National
Energy Foundation can help. Its iAIM service
enables social housing providers to better
understand their assets’ performance,
target investment and strategically improve
their portfolios.

Other highlights
The survey results also showed that only
40% of social housing providers felt that
retrofit is actively championed at board
level, which is a disappointing decline from
the previous survey result of 60%.
With energy prices and the general cost
of living looking set to rise, it’s as important
now as it’s ever been for social housing
providers to provide residents with warm,
affordable homes. This is reflected in the
survey by the fact that the overwhelming

driver for retrofit was reducing fuel poverty
and improving affordability for tenants,
with 85% of respondents citing this as their
primary motivation. This finding is
consistent with the previous survey result
of 83%. Organisational commitment was
given as the second reason with 55%. The
two least quoted reasons were generating
income from renewables (12% of
responders) and resident demand (14%).

Shape of things to come
In an effort to gain insight into the future
direction of the sector, the survey also
asked respondents to identify whether they
were “interested but not delivering”, “not
interested”, or “already delivering” against
a list of ten new technologies and
approaches. The highest scoring areas for
“interested but not delivering” were:
“Collaborating with other registered
providers and local authorities to deliver
community wide retrofit” and “Working with
the health sector to deliver retrofit” (each
cited by 73% of responders). In both cases,
a number of respondents identified that
they were already delivering in these areas.
Commenting on the results of the survey,
Principal Energy Specialist, Luke Smith,
said: “It’s very encouraging that the social
housing sector is undertaking some
excellent retrofit work, and is willing and
able to deliver. In a positive response to
uncertain times, it is clearly investing in
retrofit, and innovating in the field of
energy efficiency.
“It’s vitally important that the sector is
capable of coping with, and interpreting,
an ever-increasing amount of data. The
better use of data is key - in order to
provide the best asset management
possible, and ultimately the best possible
service for tenants. We are pleased that
our iAIM service is available to help social
housing providers tackle this issue, enabling
them to: develop a better understanding
of their data; strengthen their strategic
thinking; enhance their asset management;
and improve their ability to produce more
robust business cases.”

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

News

Lloyd’s Register Technology
Radar – Low Carbon

T

he drive towards sustainability has
never been more urgent – and
technology will continue to play a
crucial role. The Lloyd’s Register Technology
Radar – Low Carbon, published today,
examines the outlook for renewables,
nuclear, grid and infrastructure, and
energy storage.
The research sought the insights and
opinions of leaders across the sector,
as well as the views of almost 600
professionals and experts around the world
– from utilities and distributors through to
operators and equipment manufacturers.
Respondents were asked to rate a
number of technologies in terms of their
potential impact, the amount of time it
would take for these technologies to hit
the market, and how likely they are to be
adopted once they do. Respondents were
also asked on reflect on the pace and
success of innovation in their sector and what they see as the major drivers
and blockers.

Key findings include:
•

Low carbon generation technologies
are cost competitive. Nuclear is one
of the cheapest options for power
generation when lifecycle costs are
taken into account. 70% of survey
respondents say that renewables
are now reaching cost parity with
fossil fuels.

•

Solar cell technology is likely to
have a major impact, and soon.
Renewables respondents are most
optimistic about the potential of
advances in solar cell technology
- and the likelihood of adoption.

•

The potential contribution of Small
Modular Reactors (SMRs) is unclear
at this stage, although its impact will
most likely apply to smaller grids
and isolated markets. However, the
underlying modularisation technology
is expected to have a major impact
on the sector.

•

Nuclear will continue be part of the
solution to climate change long into
the future. Although public acceptance
is a major challenge in some countries,
nuclear is likely to contribute to the
energy mix for the foreseeable future.

Low carbon technologies are now cost
competitive with fossil fuels and innovation
is gathering pace across the sector, finds a
new report by Lloyd’s Register.
But which technologies will have the most
impact on the industry?
•

Software advances will be
instrumental in transmission and
distribution. They are seen by
respondents as the innovation that
will be the quickest to arrive and the
most likely to be adopted. Blockchain
could reshape the way we think about
the transmission and distribution
of power by enabling a new era of
peer-to-peer low carbon generation.

•

It is electrical technologies that
will transform storage, rather than
mechanical storage or chemical
technology innovations. In particular,
respondents expect supercapacitors,
which will rapidly speed up charging
times for large batteries, to have the
greatest impact on storage.

•

Deployment is a major barrier.
Implementation of technology in
both nuclear and renewables is
hindered by deployment, and each
sector faces its own distinct
challenges. However, 71% of
respondents agreed there had been
an increase in the scale of deployment
of renewable energy sources.

•

Standardisation is a much-needed
development for the low carbon
sector. Industry experts agree that
regional and global consensus on
regulations could speed up
deployment and further reduce costs.

“We are very encouraged by the findings,
which highlight not only a growing optimism
across the industry but a vigorous and
intelligent debate about the pathways to
decarbonisation,” says Alasdair Buchanan,
Energy Director of Lloyd’s Register, a

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

leading provider of integrity, compliance
and specialist risk consulting services.
“Clearly, there are many uncertainties about
exactly how the industry will evolve, but
what is inarguable is that the conversation
is no longer about “should we?” but “how
should we do it?””
This is the third year Lloyd’s Register has
conducted its award-winning Technology
Radar research. Whilst earlier editions have
focused on the oil and gas sector, this time
around, the research concentrates on the
low carbon sector, with particular attention
to nuclear and renewable energy, energy
storage and infrastructure. The timing of
this report will help to inform government
debate and energy policy across the world.
The research is presented as a set of
two reports: the Lloyd’s Register
Technology Radar – Low Carbon, which
provides a comprehensive review of the
findings about renewables, nuclear, energy
storage and infrastructure. Its sister report,
the Lloyd’s Register Technology Radar – A
Nuclear Perspective – offers a closer look
at the findings as they relate specifically to
nuclear power.
Go to info.lr.org/techradarlowcarbon
to download the Technology Radar – Low
Carbon, and Technology Radar – A Nuclear
Perspective, as well as additional material
such as infographics.
If you want to ask a question about the
Low Carbon Technology Radar reports and
survey, email lowcarbon@lr.org

70%

Technology’s role in a low carbon future

of respondents from
the renewables sector
believe they are
reaching cost parity
with fossil fuels

The next generation of solar cells
will focus on improving energy
conversion efﬁciency. Further off,
new wind turbine technologies
will lead to ever more
powerful wind capacity

Energy trading will be boosted
as high voltage direct current (HVDC)
advances improve the distances that
low carbon energy can travel
between communities

Software advances will soon
improve the efﬁciency of existing
battery storage – in the long-term,
expect to see new types of
supercapacitors to store even
more energy, and for longer

Blockchain could play
a major role in the way
individuals trade energy
between one another

What is the rate of technological innovation you are currently seeing in each of the following areas?

40%

37%

Transmission
and
distribution

Generation
63%

38%

60%

• Low or very low

Energy
storage
62%

• High or very high

News

Welsh Government invests over £7million
to help local authorities become energy
efficient and reduce carbon emissions

T

he Welsh Government has approved
over £7million investment funding
as part of an initiative to help Local
Authorities become more energy efficient,
reduce carbon emissions and save money.
Monmouthshire Council will receive
£4.5million funding through the Welsh
Government’s Invest to Save Green Growth
Fund, allowing it to run its own solar park
on council owned land.
The Oak Grove Solar Farm in
Monmouthshire has the potential to
generate enough electricity to power
around 1,400 homes. It will also save
over 2,000 tonnes of CO2e per year by
generating clean, renewable energy.
Flintshire Council will receive £3.13m
for an ambitious project to upgrade 11,000
street lights to LED equivalents, saving the
local authority around £360,000 and 1,387
tCO2e annually.

The change will also improve lighting
levels and reduce the number of faults
occurring on the network each year,
cutting down maintenance costs as a result.
The approved funding brings the total
investment by the Welsh Government
through its Green Growth Wales initiative
over the past year to £14million. This
funding is helping Local Authorities to
become more energy efficient and save
money.
Incomes and savings generated by the
Local Authorities from the projects will be
used to repay the investment, support local
community projects and leave the council
with a net income.
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment
and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said:
“Through our Green Growth Wales initiative,
we are supporting the development of
public sector energy efficiency and

renewable energy projects. I am delighted
we have been able to support these
ambitious projects, which will save
significant money for the future. These
projects have huge potential and all public
bodies should be developing green growth
projects like this to deliver decarbonisation
in Wales.”
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Mark
Drakeford said: “At a time of reducing
budgets, public services need to think and
work differently. I’m very pleased to see
the fund will not only enable the council to
generate savings but also become more
energy efficient, improving the well being of
communities across the county.”

MSL Offer Tips On How
To Reduce Energy Bills
S
aving energy in the workplace has
huge benefits, in fact the DECC’s
recent guidelines states that
businesses could save over £250m, and
3TWh of energy per year if they achieve
just 5% of the cost-effective energy

efficiency potential ESOS audits
should identify.

health and safety and offers a kinder
working environment.

Upgrading to the latest energy efficient
lighting makes sense. It will also improve
light levels, reduce glare for improved

To ensure energy saving claims are
accurate, appoint a Certified Measurement
and Verification Professional (CMVP) to
measure the energy use before the new
installation and verify the savings post
installation.
Choose a lighting supplier that
understands the lighting needs of your
sites, and can offer advice on savings, such
as reduced maintenance costs and long
lamp life.
Finally, consider a regular maintenance
service package. This will ensure you can
identify problems before they become
bigger, allow for speedy re-lamping, and
make sure your lighting is compliant.
For more information on how you can save
money on your energy bills contact, MSL
Property Care Services.

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

News

RESTORE COMPETITION TO
FIX THE ELECTRICITY MARKET
– LORDS COMMITTEE

C

onstant intervention by successive
governments in the electricity
sector has led to an opaque,
complicated, and uncompetitive market
that fails to deliver low cost and secure
electricity.
This is one of the key findings of the
House of Lords Economic Affairs
Committee’s report The Price of Power:
Reforming the Electricity Market.
The Committee identifies two key
failures in the current market.
•

•

First, although security of the supply
is the most important objective, there
is currently a narrow amount of spare
capacity. Growing concerns about the
deliverability of new nuclear further
puts further pressure on this margin
in the longer term.
Second, costs to consumers and
businesses are rising. Since 2003
consumer prices have risen by 58%
and industrial prices are the highest
in Europe.

Commenting on the report, Lord Hollick,
Economic Affairs Committee Chairman,
said: “Poorly-designed government
interventions, in pursuit of the
decarbonisation, have put unnecessary
pressure on the electricity supply and
left consumers and industry paying too
high a price.
“Domestic electricity bills in Britain have
gone from being second cheapest in
Europe in the mid-2000s to the seventh
cheapest today. Britain’s high industrial
electricity prices have led some
energy-intensive industries to relocate
abroad. Low-carbon policies are a factor in
these high prices.
“Hinkley Point C is a good example of the
way policy has become unbalanced and
affordability neglected. It does not provide
good value for money for consumers and

Reduce and remove Government

there are substantial risks associated with
the project.

interventions in the market. The best
way to do this would be to ensure that
electricity generating capacity
is secured through a single,
technology-neutral, competitive
auction for electricity supply. This
auction would ensure that consumers
are paying the lowest prices for
low-carbon electricity.

“The Government must make sure that
the security of the UK’s energy supply is
the priority of its energy policy. Affordability
must not be neglected and decarbonisation
targets should be managed flexibly.
“We would like to see the Government
step back from the market and allow all
generating technologies to compete against
each other. It should establish an Energy
Commission to ensure competitive
auctions have independent oversight and
are scrutinised carefully.
“Renewables play and will continue to
play a crucial part in energy policy. Costs
have been reduced and efficiency has
improved. New clean technologies must be
supported to be commercially viable. A
new National Energy Research Centre
would also help the UK to catch other
countries up in the race to find
cost-effective solutions to the challenges
the world faces on energy.”
In order to address the failures in the
energy market the Committee
recommends the Government should:
•

Ensure that security of supply is
always the first and most important
consideration in energy policy.
Affordability and decarbonisation must
not be prioritised ahead of security.

•

Ensure that decarbonisation is
achieved at the lowest cost to
consumers. Decarbonisation policies
accounted for around 10% of the
average domestic bill in 2013. This
may mean waiting for the
development of new technologies
which can reduce emissions. The
Government should make sure that
the pace of reductions is flexible
and not a rigid path to be achieved
at all costs.

•

Establish an Energy Commission to
provide greater scrutiny of energy
policy decisions. This independent
advisory body would report to the
Secretary of State and advise on the
best way for all the objectives of
energy policy to be delivered.

•

Create a world-class National Energy
Research Centre which would search
for new methods of producing cheap,
clean energy and translate them into
commercial applications.

•

Outline its ‘Plan B’ in the event Hinkley
Point C is delayed or cannot produce
the anticipated power.
lordspressoffice@parliament.uk
www.parliament.uk/lords
www.lordsdigitalchamber.co.uk

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

News

NORTHERN POWERHOUSE CAN LEAD
THE NATION’S ENERGY AGENDA

T

he North has the opportunity to
lead the nation’s energy agenda
and ensure the “lights stay on”,
according to leading energy experts at the
UK Northern Powerhouse International
Conference and Exhibition.
The panel, which included
representatives from Drax Power, The
Energy Innovation Centre, British Gas,
Cuadrilla, Iona Capital, Cumbria LEP and
Northern Gas Networks, said the North
contains the geographic assets and
infrastructure to heat and power the
nation’s next generation.
According to George Beveridge, Chair
of Cumbria LEP, the North of England is
already leading the way on renewables
with nearly half of all renewable power
generated in the region. As well as offering
extensive scope to scale up off-shore wind
and tidal schemes and being home to
extensive nuclear capability and bio-mass
energy generation.
Innovative energy solutions being trialled
in the North of England already include
an extensive system of salt caverns which
could be used for energy storage and the
substantial Shale Gas opportunity which
could be exploited through fracking.
“With these capabilities across the North
there is no good reason why the Northern
energy sector shouldn’t be a key place to
build an industrial strategy,” according to
Mr Beveridge.
Energy innovation remains a major
issue and piloting new schemes is vital to
keeping the systems balanced and
consumer costs down. “The cost of
maintaining the energy system is going

up and the cost of balancing the system
is going up, and this will inevitably feed
through to consumer’s bills unless
answers are reached”, said Andy Koss,
CEO of Drax Power.
One of the energy schemes currently
being trialled in the North is Northern
Gas’s HS1 Leeds proposal, which plans to
convert significant parts of the UK gas grid
to be 100% hydrogen. The scheme is being
supported by all of the gas networks in the
UK and is currently being trialled in Leeds
before planning to extend to other parts
of the country.
Dan Sadler, Special Adviser at Northern
Gas Networks, said that converting the UK
gas grid to hydrogen will be a major step
towards meeting the UK’s carbon reduction
targets. He said: “The technology of today
made it possible to undertake this
conversion. We need to provide some
more compelling evidence around
elements listed in our report, which is
publicly available, but if we can unlock
the prize of hydrogen in the gas networks
we can make a big dint in the climate
change act.”
British Gas representative Andy Manning
agreed that hydrogen could offer a
solution: “This is a possible route. It is too
early to say whether it is the solution, but
it is definitely worth exploring.”
The panel also discussed the major
opportunity shale gas presents for the
North of England. George Beveridge, Chair
of Cumbria LEP, commented that there is
800 million cubic feet and 300 years’ worth
of supply potentially available, which could
be distributed across the whole of the

country. According to Mr Beveridge the big
question is how much of that is extractable.
“I think we need to get some projects going
to build an evidence base and determine
how much of that 800 million cubic feet
is extractable and at what cost. We know
there is lots there what we don’t know is
how much of it we can get out”.
Francis Egan, CEO at Cuadrilla added:
“Until we drill and test floor rate we can’t
say for sure if it’s going to be commercial,
but if it is then we are looking at
multi-decades of gas supply and
multi-billion pound investment
opportunities in energy across the
North of England.”
The audience also heard from Denise
Massey, Managing Director of The Energy
Innovation Centre about the importance of
integration and collaboration across the
energy industry. She said: “It is only
collaboration between the different
sectors making up the energy industry –
renewables, oil, gas, nuclear etc. – which will
allow us to meet the challenges. Yet at the
moment there seems to be little appetite
for actually taking action on developing this
collaborative approach nationally.
“This is where the Northern Powerhouse
could come in. We’ve got an incredible
asset base in terms of energy – nuclear,
gas, electricity, renewables, offshore – and
a comprehensive network of SMEs primed
for innovation. It’s all right here in the
region. We could provide a framework for
how the different strands of the sector
could work together and provide part of the
blue print which could, over time, be rolled
out nationally.”

oT-enabled drives, motors and
controls together with
application-specific packages
feature in ABB’s new 120-page guide.
Smart sensors, apps and services
that enable users of motors, variable
speed drives (VSDs) and controls to
tap into the opportunities offered by
the Internet of Things (IoT) headline in
ABB’s 2017 catalogue.
These include the world’s first
affordable sensor for tracking the

10

performance of low voltage (LV) motors.
The ABB smart sensor for LV motors is
simply attached, without wiring, to the
frame and monitors key parameters such
as temperature and vibration. The data
is drawn into a central cloud-based
dashboard to provide maintenance crews
with a real-time view of key performance
indicators, showing which motors need
servicing and when.
Advanced apps for VSDs that provide
access to cloud-based services and

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

information throughout the product’s life
cycle are also featured. The Drivetune app
enables service engineers to commission
and tune the performance of VSDs via
wireless Bluetooth connection. Meanwhile,
the Drivebase app allows plant personnel
to access ABB’s vast drive knowledge base
via the cloud, to assist with installation
and troubleshooting, simply by scanning a
dynamic QR code generated by the VSD
on its control panel.
The catalogue includes VSDs and motors

News
designed for use in specific industries.
These include the ABB drive for water and
wastewater, ACQ580, and the ABB HVAC
drive, ACH580. Also featured are IEC
stainless steel washdown motors, which
meet the strict hygiene standards
demanded by the food and beverage
industry. The motors’ stainless steel casing,
which is rated to IP69K, means the motors
can resist direct water sprays at 100 bar
and 80 degrees centigrade, allowing
food production equipment to be
cleaned in place.
ABB’s range of motor-drive packages
aimed at specific industries and
applications are also detailed in the guide.
As one of the only companies
manufacturing both VSDs and low voltage
AC motors, ABB is able to offer customers
perfectly designed, tested and approved
matched pairs. ABB’s extensive range
includes synchronous reluctance motor
(SynRM) and drive packages for industry,
water and machines and an enhanced
range of ATEX-compliant motor and drive
packages for hazardous areas.
Other products include extensions to
ABB’s general purpose drives offering,
with ratings now available to 500 kW, and
the ABB general purpose medium voltage
drive, ACS580MV, a cabinet-built drive
designed to control pumps and fans
across multiple industries.
The guide contains detailed information
and specifications for the full range of ABB
drives and controls, motors and
mechanical power transmission products
all in one place.
For a free printed copy of the guide email
energy@gb.abb.com or call 07000 DRIVES
(07000 374837) or to download a PDF of
the guide go to www.abb.co.uk/energy

CARSHALTON SCHOOL
WINS ECO-SCHOOLS
ENERGY COMPETITION
A Sutton academy is delighted after being named
as the Autumn Term winner of the Eco-Schools
Energy Efficient Schools Competition

A

s winners, Carshalton High School
for Girls are set to have a £2,500
energy efficiency upgrade from
competition sponsors, UK Energy Partners.
This national competition is open to all
schools who are members of Eco-Schools
England, part of environmental charity
Keep Britain Tidy, where more than 17,000
schools are registered and 1,200 schools
currently hold the top award of Eco-Schools
Green Flag status.
After a number of fantastic entries,
Carshalton High School for Girls were
selected as the first competition prize
winner of the year. The Eco-Schools
competition will run over the 2016-17
academic year over three terms, with a
winner at the end of each term, and an
overall winner announced in June 2017.
Their prize of a bespoke metering
solution will provide Carshalton High
School for Girls with a clear view of their
energy consumption and cost, in real time,
bringing their energy to life. This prize will
be a great educational tool, providing the
academy with a dashboard to show them
how their energy consumption is affected
by behaviour, for example when their lights
are turned on or off. And as the results are
very easily interpreted, it will demonstrate
quite simply how energy consumption can
be influenced.
The Spring Term prize is now open for
entries, and the overall winning school will
win £5,000 of energy saving LED lighting!
Carole Petty, School Business Manager,
Carshalton High School for Girls said, “I
was delighted to hear that our entry won
the Autumn Term prize of the Eco-Schools
Energy Efficient Schools Competition. Over
the years we have strived to make our
school a greener more energy efficient site,
but often have not had the funding needed
to make the improvements. Undeterred we
have introduced creative practical solutions
that are low cost but made an impact on
our energy consumption and were really
pleased to see the improvements to our

DEC (Display Energy Certificate) ratings.
This prize will now allow us to introduce a
monitoring and metering system to help
inform us where we need to target further
improvements going forward. I know it will
have a massive impact across our whole
community.”
Sam Moore, Head of Energy Solutions,
UK Energy Partners said, “It’s been a great
pleasure to be able to support Eco-Schools
and their members through this joint
competition so far. Having received so
many positive entries for the Autumn Term
competition, we revelled in reading the
positive impacts that schools are making
on their learning environments, for both
teachers and pupils, mixed with the
important notes of saving cash and carbon.
This really is a superb result for Carshalton
High School for Girls, winning £2,500 of
metering and monitoring equipment.
Good luck everyone with your next round
of entries!”
http://www.ukenergypartners.co.uk/
2016/09/eco-schools-energy-efficientschools-competition/

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

11

News

New project transforms
social housing into
energy efficient smart
new pilot scheme transforming social
homes Ahousing
into energy efficient smart homes
has seen energy consumption slashed by
over 80 per cent
T
he project, known as Retrofit Plus, has
been carried out by Beattie Passive
alongside Birmingham City University,
InteSys Ltd and iZDesign to see how
changes made to houses could cut heating
energy bills and lift low-income households
out of fuel poverty.
Two semi-detached houses in the Shard
End area of Birmingham were handed over
to the project by Birmingham City Council
last year. Residents were able to continue
living in the properties while the changes
were carried out.
The process saw a range of energy
efficient measures introduced including
fitting the houses with Beattie Passive’s
innovative TCosy Deep Retrofit system.
TCosy wraps entire buildings with a new
insulated layer by installing a timber frame
structure completely around the homes
and injecting insulation material into the
walls and roof cavity.
This creates a continuous insulated layer
around the building, eliminating heat loss
and making the buildings draught free
– forming a process which can be
‘retrofitted’ to refurbish existing homes.
As part of the retrofit solution, new triple
glazed windows and doors as well as a
mechanical ventilation and heat recovery
system were installed. The whole system

was built to low-energy Passivhaus
standards, offering advanced energy and
comfort levels.
They were also fitted with high-tech
sensors and controls which automatically
regulate the houses’ temperatures as well
as learning and reacting to residents’
patterns of use.
Since work began in September the
results have shown an 80 per cent reduction
in the use of energy and residents have
reported major improvements:
•
“I did not need heating when the
outside temperature dropped below
freezing yesterday.”
•
“The house feels like home now
– no damp, no dust, no noise.”
It is hoped the scheme could increase
the value of housing stock for councils and
regenerate areas of deprivation by also
fitting homes with high quality new facades.
Ron Beattie, Beattie Passive said: “This
project took our TCosy innovation forward
to an offsite manufactured panel. This
has greatly increased the speed of works
and with further innovations we expect to

see the process become quicker and
more affordable.
“We have received many positive
comments from the tenants of our
retrofitted properties who are already
enjoying a warmer, healthier Passivhaus
living environment as well as reduced
energy bills.”
Birmingham City University provided
simulation design analysis of the houses,
tracked their carbon outputs and InteSys
Ltd developed a predictive control system
which learns physical characteristics of the
building and delivers the right amount of
heat at the right time.
Thermal imaging and 3D laser scanning
formed a part of detailed pre-retrofit
survey that enabled the creation of design
simulation models to help plan the best
way to achieve a zero-carbon rating
and monitor the changes in energy
consumption.
Professor Lubo Jankovic, Head of the
Zero Carbon Lab at Birmingham City
University’s School of Architecture and
Design, said: “Retrofit plus has been shown
to reduce heating energy consumption and
carbon emissions by 80 per cent, saving
money for residents and providing a
process suitable for a UK-wide scaling-up.
“Our experience from this project shows
that there is a behaviour change with
occupants with increased internal
temperatures and fewer warm clothes
needed in winter. This approach improves
health and wellbeing of occupants and
positively changes their lives.”
The houses have now formally been
handed back to Birmingham City Council
but their energy use will continue to be
monitored until later this summer.
(Left to Right) Professor Lubo Jankovic from
Birmingham City University and Ron Beattie from
Beattie Passive, handover the building to
Birmingham City Council

12

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

Opinion

Public Sector Scotland
hemorrhaging millions of
pounds due to lost savings and
overcharging on water bills

S

ince the water industry in
Scotland opened its doors to
competition many years ago
Public Sector Scotland have
been literally hemorrhaging
£millions on incorrect charges and losing
out on potential savings and reductions
on water bills due to poor administration
of water supply contracts, lack of water
consultancy expertise and zero control.
Even now a massive Public Sector
Scotland water contract went out to tender
to the retail water suppliers worth a
reputed £350 million over the contract
term, but why did the public sector
procurement take this route? Lack of
knowledge and expertise prior to this water
supply contract that was awarded to an
English Water supplier Anglian Water.
It seems a very large number of water
flow data loggers were fitted to many
public sector sites around 3,000 according
to information I received.
Water flow data loggers are an
essential tool for producing a visual flow
profile of water use over time and is
particularly invaluable in identifying water
losses and water leaks where water is
passing through the water meter when the
site is unoccupied or in the early hours of
the morning, if continual flow is recorded
this is known as the base load. In the hands
of a water audit expert this data is
invaluable in reducing water costs, yet since
these data loggers were installed many
years ago the valuable water flow data has
never been expertly used! Resulting in a
massive lost water saving opportunity and
substantially higher water bills as a result,
all down to poor contract administration,
lack of applied knowledge and expertise.
The water supply contract expired with
Scottish Water Business Stream and the
£350 million water supply contract was won
by Anglian Water on a retail contract and
again Public Sector Scotland will not be
maximising the potential water savings and
refunds as there was and still is a massive
water cost reduction opportunity.
Maximising potential reductions in water

costs is very unlikely to happen as the
appointed water supplier Anglian Water
will not give advice in certain keys areas for
example, Water Self-supply.
A large portion of the public sector
estate should commission a water
self-supply feasibility report and should not
sign up to the appointed water supplier
until they have evaluated water self-supply.
In my expert opinion a great many
public sector organisations would financially
benefit from water self-supply as at the
moment they are paying needlessly a water
retail margin when in fact they could cut
out the retail margin and procure their
water supply contract via the water
self-supply route and save £millions on
procurement alone.

I bet neither the Scottish Public Sector
procurement or any of the water retailers
pitching for the recently let water supply
contract even mentioned water self-supply.
The Public Sector organisations in
Scotland will not maximise savings and
refunds on their water bills until they take
impartial, independent expert advice.
Want to know more about cutting out
the water retail margin and procuring
your water supply contracts direct from
the wholesaler? Call the “Water Audit
Experts” at H20 Building Services on
01924 387 873 or email
nicky.mann@h2obuildingservices.co.uk

The Public Sector Scotland deserves more.

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

13

Opinion

Why is the energy
transformation so slow?

G

lobal warming is a fact.
There is now no doubt at all
that CO2 emissions, caused
mainly by fossil-based
energy, are the villain.
Melting ice from Greenland and the
world’s polar regions will likely, within 2-3
generations, lead to sea levels rising by 6
meters. Unfortunately, this pace is likely
to accelerate, to the extent that both the
North and South Poles will melt
completely. If the ice on Antarctica melts,
sea levels will rise by 60 meters. Even at a
6-meter sea level rise, the consequences
are disastrous, enough to make millions
of citizens, for example in New York,
Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore and London,
homeless. Low level countries such as
Bangladesh, Vietnam and the Netherlands
risk being wiped out completely. The
accompanying climatic and oceanic
changes will make the situation even
worse: the Mediterranean and the Middle
East could both become uninhabitable,
resulting in huge refugee flows and crises.
The global food supply is threatened
because vegetation simply does not
now have enough time to adapt to a
new climate.
Globally, nations take action through
international climate plans, such as the
Kyoto and Paris agreements. And there is
certainly agreement that we urgently need
to change our energy systems. Yet rising
global energy consumption, combined with
low energy prices, fosters wastefulness.
The real battle between the countries
responsible for climate change has not
even begun. Understandably, the least
developed countries are pointing at their
right to prosperity and at the affluent
world’s historical responsibility for CO2
emissions. Energy consumption is therefore
likely to continue to rise.
The late Professor Hans Rosling’s
conclusion is that we must develop and
provide technologies such as refrigerators,
automobiles and washing machines that
require a maximum of 10% of today’s
energy needs, in order to realistically meet
environmental objectives. Such restraints
may feel a deceptively long way away to us
at the moment.
How can we explain the discrepancy
between the clear risk of the increasing
momentum towards a collapse of the
climate, and the lack of commitment to
activities to solve the problems?
There are two important reasons:
Psychology: If a threat seems too
daunting, then denial of the threat is a

14

By Dr. Joachim Karthäuser

built-in reflex, especially if the
threat is linked to an addiction.
A smoker or alcoholic tends to
ignore warnings from doctors,
against their better judgment.
We depend on energy for comfort, air travel
and prosperity. In the same way that a
smoker denies the threat of lung cancer
because the pleasure of nicotine is so
strong, we ignore the fact that rising sea
levels are threatening the very existence of
mankind. The pleasures that energy gives
us in the short term are simply too
powerful. The same psychology applies
in politics and business: our decisions
are usually short-term. Drastic decisions
require broad consensus and often only
come about when we have the knife at our
throat. It is tempting to take the easy way
out and commission yet another
investigation of the threats of climate
change, deferring the time when the sitting
government or board will have to deal
with the problem. But there is hope. Most
governments are using means of control
such as alcohol and tobacco tax with great
success to mitigate the effects of
dangerous behaviors. We will return to
means of control shortly.
Understanding: Far too few people
remember basic physics that easily shows
that energy today is in fact absurdly cheap.
1 kilowatt hour (1 kWh) is the amount of
energy required to lift a large car all the
way up to the top of the Eiffel Tower! We
consumers can purchase this enormous
amount of energy for about 0,1 € or 1SEK,
either in the form of electricity or as one
deciliter of petrol! The alternative to lifting
the car with a crane is to ask say 50
Frenchmen to do the job with ropes and
muscle power: this would surely cost
hundreds if not thousands of euros. Is
there any other product where we get so
much value for so little money? (One could
argue here that access to cheap energy
made it possible to abolish slavery.) Other
comparisons: With 1 kWh, one can in half
an hour of vacuuming move a few grams
of dust from the carpet into the filter bag.
The comparison with the car on the Eiffel
Tower shows that our vacuum cleaners and
other electric gadgets are far from efficient
- there is lots of room for improvement
for future engineers! As for global conflict
management, as Daniel Yergin writes so
persuasively in “The Prize”, historically,
there are hardly any wars where oil, gas
or coal are not there in the background.
Unless future solutions are reasonable and
fair for all stakeholders, war is inevitable.

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

Much deeper knowledge of politics, history,
physics and psychology of energy is
required if we want to take the right
decisions going forward.
Is there hope that we can manage the
energy transition? Yes, but it is extremely
urgent. In fact, there is inspiring progress
that showcases human creativity in
response to this serious situation. The
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) regularly
identifies “Climate Solver Technologies”
(see www.climatesolver.org). Winners
include projects transforming desert into
farmland, new ways to save, produce and
store energy, to distribute food and goods
efficiently, and many more examples.
Electric and hybrid cars are reaping
success. Passenger ferry Viking Line has
a new ship in operation driven by natural
gas or biogas, which only uses 50% of the
energy that a similar vessel needed just 10
years ago. China, California and Germany
are leaders investing in wind, solar and
other renewable energy sources. We
can build zero-energy houses, as well as
technology to reduce energy consumption
dramatically in existing houses.
Sweden is one of the world leaders in
clean energy innovation. Companies such
Greenely have developed methods to
reduce energy consumption with the help
of psychology. ABB provides frequency
controlled motors that cut electricity
requirements. Uppsala University is a
leader in solar cell innovation. And the
company I started, Climeon, can produce
clean electricity from waste warm water.
The world as we know it can build smart
grids. We can store energy in all possible
forms. All this is hugely positive and
inspiring, but it is not enough to stop
climate catastrophe. How, realistically, can
we increase the pace?
Many nations have opted for a passive,
cautious stance - we keep old technologies
and sources like nuclear power longer,
arguing that these assets have many years
of life left to go, and that there are many
jobs involved. There is logic in this, and it
obviously saves money. The problem is that
the money saved is not invested in new
technology. A green tax seems very urgent.
Taking Sweden as example, 10 SEK
(ca. 1 €) extra tax per liter of fossil fuel
petrol or diesel would provide 100 billion
SEK. An additional electricity tax of
approximately 1SEK/ kWh could be passed

Opinion

on to consumers resulting in consumer prices
of approximately 2 SEK/ kWh. This approach is
already enabling German citizens to help finance
their country’s energy transition. Renewable
energy must of course be taxed less. The $100
billion SEK revenue through fuel and ca. 40
billion SEK from electricity consumption, can
be used in part to reduce other taxes, and in
part to stimulate environmentally friendly
investments, both proven technology and
promising developments.
Such a green tax would sharply raise the
incentives for all of us to review our energy
choices - for example, the choice and usage of
car and household energy consumption.
Renewable energy sources - which are already
economically competitive - would receive a huge
and very necessary boost.
Green tax reform is not a zero-sum game,
but does lead dynamically to new jobs,
businesses, employment and tax revenue. This is
already the case in Germany, where a whole new
industry around wind, solar, smart grid, biomass
based power plants and similar has been
developed, and which is gearing up for global
exports. Norwegian based Scatec Solar is globally
installing photovoltaic systems (so far, nearly
600 MW installed!). Their success will surely
lead to fresh industrial growth in the Norwegian
solar cell industry. American Solar City, owned
by Tesla’s founder Elon Musk, has also done a
tremendous job of making solar panels trendy
and accessible.
The transport sector, households and
industry are the major producers of CO2. Within
the transport sector and for private citizens, it
feels like a green tax shift will quickly produce
the desired effect. For global industries, however,
this is not likely. Globally, higher prices for energy
would promote savings, in that the repayment
period for environmental investments will be
shorter. We therefore need international
agreements, replacing e.g. the CO2 certificate
trading schemes such as ETS which basically
have collapsed. For most industries, energy
pricing is one part of the equation, but assuming
companies are competing on equal terms, it is
not decisive whether oil (or the nearest
equivalent) costs 30, 100 or 200 dollars
per barrel.
In summary, we must come to terms with the
fact that our planet is seriously threatened. We
do not have a Planet B - nor on a smaller scale,
do we have an Amsterdam B or New York B.
We must recognize that we have wasted energy
because it was and is far too cheap. Technology
can solve the problem. The future need not be
so daunting, indeed there are great
opportunities. Huge investments are required
going forward, but the longer we wait, the bigger
they become. The challenge is obviously global,
but that should not stop individual countries
from taking their own initiatives. Politicians must
show leadership and make full use of policy
instruments. This is becoming more and more
crucial, and it is immensely important that
Sweden does not fall behind.

Old Lags
or new

I

often see pictures of installations
posted onto sites like Linkedin by
their proud creators. The trouble is
given my experience I can often see
something wrong from the picture;
it might be that the gas meter is fitted too
near bends and would therefore be
inaccurate, it could be that the boiler
would be impossible to service or maybe
a simple filter change would require
significant dismantling and hours of
downtime. But most often it relates to
pipework insulation.
When I’ve pointed out that it would
not be possible to lag the bare pipe of the
picture easily or properly I sometimes get
abuse on the lines of “it’s in a domestic
premise, Duh!” or “Why would I lag it it’s in
the heated space?”.
Now once upon a time that might have
been sensible but now when there is a
need to avoid wasting energy and thereby
minimise carbon emissions is it still?
If pipework is not properly insulated
(or the insulation has degraded with time)
heat is being lost from the pipe into the
space. Was that included by the designer
in his heating (or cooling it works the same)
calculation? And if it was, have you now
decreased the effectiveness of any
thermostatic radiator valves and the like
by creating an uncontrolled emitter in the
room? Are the occupants going to roast?
That could be even worse if the pipe
carried domestic hotwater which will be
required in Summer when the occupied
space may actually have the air
conditioning running!
Is this a real world problem? Well I
have often seen pipework uninsulated in
occupied spaces where the inhabitants
complain they are too hot even when they
have turned the TRV off. I also remember
a Leicestershire school I visited once. An
old historic school its heating system had
originally been coal fired and (like many
systems of that time) gravity based. Some
of you used to more modern gas and coal
systems where the heated water
circulates by the action of electric pumps,
may not be aware that in the past the
natural buoyancy of hotter water over
colder was used to move the heat around
and avoid pumping (some systems were
even before electricity!). This weaker force
meant that the distribution pipework had
to be MUCH larger and in the school this
was 8in diameter cast iron (there are also

issues in design and slow response before
anyone thinks about using “gravity systems”
to save on pumps and electricity).
There had been multiple modifications
to the heating over the years with
additional radiators, side legs a gas boiler
and PUMPING but the main pipework
remained the same! The trouble was it
still didn’t work properly. The problem was
that classrooms near the boiler got warm
quickly (and soon overheated) while the
ones at the end of the line never got to
an acceptable warmth in winter. Effort
was spent trying to balance the system
to no avail.
So a sensible heating engineer looked
at it an realised that once each room was
satisfied he needed to drive the heat to the
next one. So reasonably he fitted
Thermostatic Radiator Valves to all the
radiators – to no real success.
What he had failed to allow for was that
the surface area of the 8in cast iron pipes
passing through the rooms far exceeded
that of the (admitted also large) radiators,
so isolating them from the water flow made
virtually no difference to the heat entering
the rooms and the being lost from the
pipe. The warm rooms got hotter and the
cold rooms still froze.
The answer – insulate the large
diameter pipes. (I did suggest using them
as sleeves and inserting a smaller
preinsulated pipe up their middle but
no-one liked that idea!).
Insulation (of pipework and building
fabric) looks like an initial unneeded cost
that can be avoided – maybe as part of
“Value Engineering”- but the admittedly
small savings it generates will be there
passively through the life of the installation
– and retrofitting is EXPENSIVE!
Andy Clarke BSC CEng MEI
And now a committee member of the
UKAEE

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

15

Opinion

“There’s only one thing wrong with the
Capacity Market – and it isn’t the price”

I

n truth, there are many things wrong
with the Capacity Market (CM) – the UK
Government’s flagship policy for the
security of national electricity supplies.
Among these is not whether or not the
CM will work. It will – the lights will stay on.
Probably.
Nor is it the somewhat disappointing price
in the first CM auctions, which this week hit a
historic low of £6.95/kW per year. Admittedly,
this was for the ‘bonus’ early auction for
delivery from October 2017; the four year
ahead market managed a more respectable
£22.50/kW in December’s auction. Prices like
that will delight Government: the consumer is
getting supply security for only a modest hit
on bills. The lesson is that auctions discover
prices, and Dutch auctions discover low prices.
Government made a shrewd pick of auction
format for the CM.
Most of my thousand gripes about the CM
are details which are eminently fixable.
Flexitricity’s demand response portfolio is
made up of a broad mix of flexible loads,
combined heat and power (CHP) generators,
critical power supplies and small hydro
generators. This diversity is a massive part
of its success, but the CM wasn’t designed to
recognise that. Fitting flexible customer-side
assets into the CM is like playing chess in
boxing gloves. It can be done, but it’s
pointlessly awkward.
The basic structures of energy policy
aren’t wrong either. We live on an Atlantic
archipelago that’s sometimes windy, sometimes
wet and sometimes sunny, and which is
surrounded by tidal and wave energy. We
should be doing all we can to use our free
resources in preference to burning
commodities which come loaded with financial
and environmental risk. We pay renewable
resources to churn out the megawatt-hours
as much as they can. We don’t pay them for
reserve or capacity services, because that’s not
what they do best. This means that the
balancing capacity – traditionally gas, coal and
oil burners, but now also demand response
and batteries – isn’t going to make all of its
living selling energy. So we pay such
‘despatchable’ resources for the security they
provide. Taken as a whole, and setting aside
Westminster’s recently acquired fear of a wind
turbine that anyone can see, this combination of policies – for green energy and reliable
capacity – makes sense.
Back to those lights, and their staying
on-ness. Secretaries of State don’t get to use
the word “probably” in this context. But that’s
government policy. Perfect security costs
infinite money, and no-one wants an infinite
electricity bill.
The UK is in good shape when it comes to

16

raw megawatts, if we count – and we should
– energy efficiency and flexible consumers.
They are part of the mix. Our Loss of Load
Expectation (LoLE) sits at around 0.5 hours
each year – that’s the number of hours in
which we expect somebody, somewhere in
GB, to be going without electricity because
there isn’t enough. Government’s target LoLE
is three hours. That’s what politicians mean
when they say “the lights will stay on”. They
mean probably.
This winter, France suffered the
nightmare of all those concerned with
reliability: a type fault. Type faults are faults
affecting many different stations of a similar
type. In this case, it was the discovery that
many of France’s nuclear reactors had been
made with the wrong type of steel, and were
at risk of ageing disgracefully. Prior to the
discovery of this fault, the French grid operator
RTE had estimated LoLE at a respectable 1.25
hours. 2016/17 is the first winter I can remember in which we regularly exported power to
France during our weekday evening peak.
Diversity is important in security, and
being technology-neutral, the CM has the
potential to encourage a broad mix of
resources to participate. It has largely
delivered this in all but one category – new
build generation. It is in this category that the
CM’s real flaw is found.
The CM is buying the wrong stuff, and it’s
doing it because it’s a single-issue policy that
joins up with nothing.
Under the CM, it’s possible to get a
15-year contract if you’re building a new
generation site, but everyone else must take
shorter contracts. This means that the CM
strongly favours low-capex projects. This
delivers one thing: engine farms – rows of
reciprocating engines, gas or diesel, in
shipping containers.
It is a post-hoc rationalisation to claim
that engine farms are what’s best for the
consumer. They win where today’s capital cost
is the only consideration. It’s also a calumny to
claim that engine farms are there to balance
wind. This is nuts: wind generation varies,
but over timescales of hours and days, not
minutes and seconds, which is where engines
have a place. We do sometimes get storm
shutdown events that result in a fast drop
in renewable output. For that, engines are
fine. But we’ve got enough – there are more
megawatts of standby diesels already installed
in the UK than there are of wind farms.
December’s auction saved some face, but
not enough. Centrica’s repowering of King’s
Lynn A will give us a nearly-new combined
cycle gas turbine CCGT.
Intergen’s Spalding extension will produce a
large open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT), which

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

will probably compete with engine farms on
efficiency, but not with a new CCGT.
An engine farm might manage an
efficiency of 41% if it’s gas, or 38% if it’s diesel.
That means around 60% of the energy put into
an engine farm is blown into the sky as waste
heat. Compare that to a new CCGT at 61% or
more, or, better still, a CHP in a district heating
network with a total efficiency approaching
85%. If the CHP has a heat store – a big tank of
water – it provides all of the flexibility needed
to balance renewables. Add a large-scale heat
pump, and the site can switch from generation
to beneficial consumption as renewable
generation ebbs and flows – a virtual battery,
without the lithium.
One of the huge problems faced by the
energy industry is consumer engagement.
Insiders know that energy would be cheaper,
greener and more secure if the top deck of
the Clapham omnibus buzzed with discussion
about the merits of low-energy light bulbs,
or whether to keep the washing machine off
until after this evening’s peak. CHPs score
over CCGTs because their natural home is in
the community, and community ownership is
a real possibility. Nothing captures attention
better than skin in the game.
The Capacity Market misses all that,
and instead floods the market with single
purpose peakers. There are only so many
peaks to go round, and sending engine farms
off hunting the role that CCGT and CHP could
hold in the bulk energy market is
environmentally and economically daft.
Government knows that, but its efforts to
control the problem have been tangential,
and the damage largely collateral.
Even this is an easy problem to fix. All
that’s needed is an insistence that anyone
wanting a 15-year contract meets the
Government’s own Emissions Performance
Standard or qualifies as Good Quality CHP,
both of which are established Government
schemes.
So why was the price in last week’s auction
so low? In a word, P305 (note: in the GB
electricity market, that qualifies as a word). It’s
now over a year since Ofgem put the fizz back
into prompt electricity markets with its reform
of imbalance prices. No-one knows how long
the fun will last, but for now, old power
stations clearly find it worth staying at the
party a little longer. That’s not a disaster; it’s
the market doing what it’s supposed to do.
Meanwhile, the Capacity Market marches
on, doing the one thing that it’s designed for,
and optimising that at the expense of
everything else.

or off-grid organisations juggling
environmental commitments
with profitability, renewable
LPG-driven gas absorption
heat pumps could be just the
solution to achieving low-carbon heating,
says Mike Hefford, Product Application
Manager at Remeha
The UK has a legally binding target to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80%
by 2050 through the Climate Change Act
2008. UK buildings are big users of energy,
with non-domestic buildings alone
accounting for 17% of total energy use
and 12% of greenhouse gas emissions.
So to achieve these goals, we need to
address the energy performance of our
building stock.
As a large user of energy, heating is a
good starting place for efficiency measures.
Replacing any inefficient heating
equipment with a high-efficiency
technology will significantly reduce an
organisation’s energy costs and its carbon
footprint. But for the 11.5% of UK
organisations located off the gas grid
there is more to consider than just the
technology. Energy managers in these
organisations have the additional
pressure to consider switching from oil
or coal to a more environmentally-friendly
energy source.
And one renewable technology that
could provide a high-performance,
affordable solution to low carbon heating
in these off-grid buildings is the gas
absorption heat pump (GAHP). Not only
does it easily meet the low carbon
requirements of Part L of Building
Regulations, but it can operate on either
natural gas or low carbon liquefied paraffin
gas (LPG). This makes it perfectly suited for
use in off-grid locations.

Simply efficient
How do they work? GAHPs capture
energy from the surrounding air, which
then converts to higher temperatures with
the aid of an ammonia and water
refrigeration cycle. By combining this free
renewable energy with a highly-efficient
condensing heat generator, GAHPs can
achieve outstanding seasonal gas

utilisation efficiencies (GUE) of up to 165%
under ideal conditions. The more realistic
GUE of around 130% still significantly
outperforms conventional methods of
heating buildings and delivers payback in
around four years.

Low running costs
Energy managers will be aware that
electricity prices are continuing to rise.
But while the initial outlay for electric and
gas-driven heat pumps is approximately
the same, LPG is typically just two thirds
the price of electricity – delivering reduced
running costs. And the spread between
electricity and LPG prices is only widening.
All of which makes a GAHP running on
LPG an attractive sustainable option for
low carbon heating and hot water in
off-grid locations.

Sustainable technology
So what about the carbon factor?
When it comes to energy source, LPG
has the lowest carbon footprint of all the
off-grid fuels, around 20% lower emissions
than oil per kWh.
GAHP also use the fuel extremely
sustainably. By using LPG directly at the
point of use, GAHPs can provide 98% of
usable heat energy for off-grid buildings.
That’s more than double the 45% of usable
electrical energy from electric heat pumps.
They also achieve low levels of nitrogen
oxides (NOx) by using a condensing heat
generator with a premixed modulating gas
burner. Reducing these gases has risen up
the agenda recently due to the focus on air
quality. By offering high GUE and low NOx,
LPG heat pumps tick all boxes for a
sustainable route to reliable, cleaner,
greener heating.
The sustainable operation of GAHPs is
reflected in five BREEAM credits. By using
ammonia, a naturally forming chemical, as
the refrigerant, this technology gains two
credits for zero ozone depletion potential
and zero global warming potential.
Further points come from the absence of
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) refrigerants, its
status as a low carbon technology and its
ability to achieve low NOx levels.

Easy installation
Equally suited for use in new and
existing buildings, LPG heat pumps are
straightforward to design and install.
Flexible design options mean that they can
be installed as a single unit, in cascade
arrangement or in a hybrid system with
LPG condensing boilers.
As LPG heat pumps require only an
extremely low electrical running current
to operate – just 1.09kW for a single 35kW
unit – there is no need to increase the
electrical incoming supply. This feature
makes them a practical retrofit option.
Maintenance and servicing is also risk
free as the fully sealed ammonia circuit
means there’s no need for any contact with
the refrigerant.

Reliable and practical
solution
Using LPG heat pumps for low carbon
heating and water provides numerous
benefits for off-grid organisations across
the public sector.
Firstly the performance – our data
proves that GAHPs deliver high efficiencies
all year round in a well-designed system.
So even at low outside temperatures, LPG
heat pumps deliver reliable operation and
continuous heating even in defrost
operation.
Then the safety aspect – LPG is both
safer and cleaner than oil with none of the
associated contamination or spillage risks.
Finally the convenience factor – as LPG
heat pumps are sited outdoors along with
the LPG storage tanks, they can save
valuable indoor space.
Decarbonising heating from buildings
doesn’t have to be complicated when
supported by in-depth product knowledge
and technical expertise from
manufacturers or suppliers. Correctly
designed and installed, LPG heat pumps
offer organisations a practical solution to
reliable heating and hot water in off-grid
buildings – one that meets both financial
and environmental commitments.
Mike Hefford, Product Application Manager,
Remeha - www.remeha.co.uk

Pump
maintenance
–
WATER
TIME
TO
SWITCH
three tips to prevent
hidden cost rises
Charley Maher, managing director of water2business, explains how businesses
across England will soon be able to choose their water and sewerage retailer.

N

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Owen Ford, Managing Director at Dura
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customer service, investment in innovation,

The IE3 motor legislation applies to
motors from 0,75 kW to 375 kW, and came
into force from 1st January this year. The
European Union has introduced this
directive to make sure all pumps are of
premium efficiency. Similarly, ESOS
requires large companies to prove their
commitment to saving energy throughout
their businesses.
With a combination of proactive
maintenance and energy efficiency measures, you can ensure you stay compliant
with laws and ultimately save money on
energy and the cost of breakdowns.

Pump, an engineering firm specialising in
the case with most servicing; it’s important
and
the
added services
oﬀered
to prices,
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www.durapump.co.uk
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and
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legislation in the UK.

business services.

April
2017

Switch your water and wastewater services to water2business.

helping

your business
EHFRPHPRUHHǸFLHQW

Every day we’re helping businesses like yours save money and improve efficiency.
There’s no catch or hidden charges – it’s simply all part of the service provided by water2business.

water and wastewater efficiency advice
flexible and consolidated billing for multiple sites
award-winning customer service

0345 850 0714 www.water2business.co.uk

Energy Management

PrefectDirect Take direct control of
your heating project

C

oordinating trades, disruption
for students, access to rooms
and mess are just some of
the reasons why the decision
to upgrade student
accommodation heating systems may be
kicked into the long grass. But those that
do are losing out on the energy cost
savings and other benefits associated
with investing in student comfort.
Prefect Controls, design, manufacture
and supply heating control systems and for
the past 5 years have been developing, in
conjunction with leading universities such
as Bristol and Cambridge, a new, unique
service that knocks down these hurdles
– Prefect-Direct.

“Easier and more
convenient”
Direct specification; Direct purchase;
Direct installation and Direct commissioning
means that the right controls are installed
by the manufacturer, efficiently during term
time when rooms are occupied without any
unnecessary costs, delays or disruption.
Christ Jones, Sustainability Manager at
the University of Bristol commented “It was
both easier and more convenient for us to
deal directly with Prefect”.
Most universities schedule works to be

carried out during summer months when
rooms are vacant, but this causes ‘trades
congestion’. However using PrefectDirect
means work can be completed during term
time, as Chris explains “Most of the rooms
were occupied during this project, We have
a comms plan which includes initial e-mail,
a notice on the door the day before
installation then instructions are left when
the job is finished”.

Keeping students happy
He continues “Student feedback has
been very positive because the resulting
system is always better than what was there
before so most are happy to be able to turn
their heaters up or down. The vast majority
of this work has been stand alone, separate
from other building works so therefore we
feel more in control of each phase”.
Prefect-Direct has honed its service so
that they are in and out of rooms swiftly
leaving most students unaware any work
has been carried out, apart from the tell
tale ‘On-Message’ sheet and bag of sweets
left by the engineer to explain why work has
been done. Operating in this way means
that refurbishment work that does require
empty rooms, such as decorating, can be
scheduled, uninterrupted, for the summer
months.

Chris explains “Because the system
was being installed in occupied rooms it
needed to work first time, Prefect took all
the responsibility and so we found it to be
quicker and less disruptive because they
just got on with the job”.

Complete confidence
The benefits of having the same team
specifying, installing and commissioning the
system are obvious – one point of contact,
total control, cost effectiveness and shorter
lead times.
When the installation is complete the
same team are on hand for commissioning
and this saves time and helps the whole
process run smoothly.
The Prefect-Direct Team comprises
qualified installers trained in all aspects of
the system, they comply with health and
safety legislation and are all DBS (CRB)
checked. They are also obsessive when it
comes to tidiness and always leave rooms
just as they were found (in some cases
tidier!). Chris concludes “Prefect-Direct are
one of the best contractors we deal with,
we can let them get on with it and they
understand students!”.
For more information contact Glen Golding
on 01787 320604

Energy Management

RINNai BUILDS
BUSINESSS with O’Neil’s

R

innai, manufacturer of the
Energysaver energy efficient
range of gas fired wall heaters,
recently pulled out all the
stops in collaboration with
Ayr-based installer O’Neil Gas Services to
keep the congregation warm at St Mary’s
Church in Saltcoats, Ayrshire.
O’Neil Gas Services with mission
statement: ‘Big enough to cope. Small
enough to care’ – is a family-run company
founded by John O’Neil and now presided
over by his son Brian O’Neil. It has 22
employees, 15 of them fully qualified Gas
Safe registered engineers. The company
offers domestic and commercial services
covering the whole of Ayrshire, East Kilbride
and South Glasgow and has four separate
divisions – installation, service and repair,
care and retail. O’Neil’s also operates a
fireplace and bathroom showroom,
designing and planning bathrooms from
start to finish.
The O’Neil client list is impressive and
includes NHS Scotland, North Ayrshire

Council, Cunninghame Housing Association,
SRUC Auchincruive Estate, Klin Holdings as
well as various hotels, surgeries, churches
and commercial businesses all over
Ayrshire. More recently the company won
the Irvine Housing gas maintenance
contract for five years.

O’Neil’s installation manager Ross
McWhirter. “We have used Rinnai heaters
in many churches – for example St Mary’s
– because of their efficiency and ease
of installation.

The company has built a reputation
for quality, reliability and value ensuring
that its 14,000 domestic and commercial
customers return time and again for
their gas and plumbing needs. They have
retained thousands of customers, year
after year, confirming the quality of their
customer service.

“We have installed Rinnai continuous
flow water heaters in Adeli Foods for the
same reasons. We choose Rinnai products
in such installations simply because no
other product could provide the result we
and more importantly our customers
expect and want. This along with the
excellent customer service provided by
Rinnai, mean that their heaters and water
heaters are always our choice.”

O’Neil’s install Rinnai heaters for its
commercial customers in a range of
applications. “We choose Rinnai heaters
because they are reliable, and easy to work
on, as well as being efficient. O’Neil’s use
only the best as call backs can be expensive
and so installing the Rinnai heating range
within commercial installations is an
obvious choice, and makes for happy
customers,” says

McWhirter first made the decision to
go with Rinnai’s 1004T gas fired wall space
heater for the St Mary’s Church, Saltcoats
project and it is a decision he is pleased
he made. “We used six Rinnai 1004T
units siting them in the best location for
effectiveness and for the convenience of
the customer. The biggest part of the job
was lifting the floors and running gas and
electricity supplies to the units.
“Everyone I have spoken too at the
Church since we completed the installation
has said that it has never been as warm as
it is now. The Church should also see a big
difference in gas usage as the Rinnai units
are more economical to run than the
previous system.
“This was the first time we have used
the Rinnai heaters and I was very impressed
with the outcome of the job. They are very
quiet while running and get the Church up
to temperature very quickly,” says Ross.
O’Neil’s has the stamp of approval from
Gas Safe to provide all gas services and has
recently been awarded the prestigious ISO
9001, a certified management system for
organisations proving its ability to provide
services that meets customer’s needs. In
addition, O’Neil’s has CHAS accreditation for
its Health and Safety policies and PAS 2030.
For more information on the RINNAI
product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com

20

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

Heat Recovery

MVHR: A NATURAL CHOICE

A

s Building Regulations
continue to move us towards
more airtight homes,
Mechanical Ventilation with
Heat Recovery (MVHR)
systems are increasingly being considered
the ideal choice in new properties - and
an increasingly popular one in
refurbishments too. Lee Stones,
category manager for Xpelair, looks at
the factors which are driving a surge in
the specification of heat recovery
technology in the home.
It will come as no surprise to those
working in the public sector energy
environment – particularly social housing
- that specifying a good ventilation system
has become as prevalent to property
owners as efficient home heating.
With increasingly stringent Building
Regulations, a drive towards energy
efficiency and increased insulation
options for existing properties, homes
have become more ‘wrapped up’ than ever
before. Whilst these measures are ideal
for reducing monthly heating bills, the lack
of adequate ventilation can increase the
presence of Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOCs), mould and damp within the home,
contributing to poor IAQ.

Whole House Ventilation
Where the choice of ventilation is
concerned, it’s no secret that whole house
ventilation wins out in the efficiency
stakes, and certainly for new build
properties it’s a no brainer for
housebuilders and architects to opt for
whole house systems like Mechanical
Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR).
MVHR is ideal for new builds where
insulation levels are high. Available as a
centralised, whole-house system or single
room units, this proven technology extracts
moist, stale air from inside the property
and replaces it with fresh, incoming air.
Crucially, it uses heat from the outgoing
air to warm the incoming air and high
efficiency systems can recover up to 90
per cent of the heat that would have been
lost through normal extraction.

The good news local authorities and
housebuilders is that compliance is easy.
Current Part F regs single out MVHR units,
such as Xpelair’s new Natural Air 180,
as the most sophisticated ventilation
systems available.
Provided it is specified and installed
properly, mechanical ventilation with heat
recovery will ensure housebuilders can
meet Building Regulations for new
properties, whilst also improving SAP
ratings.

Energy credentials
One of the most obvious benefits of
MVHR is its energy saving potential. Using
waste heat from the outgoing, stale air
to warm fresh, incoming air can reduce
heating bills, of course, and for those
organisations with a large stock, it can
deliver significant carbon reductions.
For the best results, MVHR systems
- such as the Natural Air 180 - can play a
vital part in a whole-house approach to
energy saving and carbon reduction, which
includes an intelligent active humidistat that
reacts in real-time to rapid increases in
humidity – providing a boost, on demand.
The flow rate in the Natural Air 180 is
boosted only as needed, minimising energy
costs and further reducing acoustic output.

Boost your IAQ
It is also important to note that we
spend more than 90 per cent of our time
indoors and whilst there is a global
understanding of outdoor air pollution,

few people realise that indoor air can be
as much as 50 times more polluted than
outdoor air.
The importance of IAQ should not be
underestimated. Mould or condensation in
the home can aggravate pre-existing health
conditions such as asthma and eczema,
whilst high levels of Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOCs) from everyday
household items such as polish or air
fresheners can also lead to symptoms
including fatigue, rhinitis, dizziness,
headaches, coughing and sneezing.
The key, of course, is to ensure
adequate ventilation in the home, reducing
the build-up of condensation, black mould
and the spores which it releases. The
solution? A constant volume MVHR system.
Xpelair’s Natural Air 180 uses Intelligent
Adaptiflow Sensing to deliver constant
volume performance. The motor operates
by constantly assessing the performance
of the impeller and, when there is a
consistent change in airflow - caused by
back pressure - the motor adjusts the
speed of the fan to maintain a constant
volume of extracted air.
What’s more, with the Internet of
Things changing the face of the heating and
ventilation industry, we can expect to see
some exciting add-ons and integrations to
MVHR systems in the coming months. By
working closely with leading manufacturers
such as Xpelair, architects can stay ahead of
the game and take advantage of an exciting
change for the industry.
Tel: 0844 372 7761
Email: rxsalesoffice@redringxpelair.com
Web: www.xpelair.co.uk

Meeting regulations
with ease
While following the Passive House
model is voluntary, the design principles
deriving from the pilot project set
unprecedented standards of energy
efficiency in residential building design.

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

21

Monitoring/Metering

Behind-the-Scenes
Look at Global
Monitoring Solutions

A

highlight of this year’s
European Temperature
Controlled Logistics
Conference at ExCel London
was a behind-the-scenes look
at how British monitoring solutions were
bringing world-class control of
temperature, humidity, shock and
vibration to operations as diverse as a
horticultural project 4000 feet up a
Malaysian mountain and the conservation
of warship The Mary Rose after 400 years
on the ocean bed.
The IMC Group’s Marcus
Stacey-Bradbury explained to delegates
how stock losses had been significantly
reduced and quality improved at a client’s
salad and herb-growing business in
Malaysia. While the mountain location
was chosen as affording some shelter from
the area’s 35C 85% humidity climate,
ultra-reliable temperature monitoring is
still vital both for production and for the
challenges of road distribution where
vehicles are away from base for several
days, experiencing a very wide variety of
potentially damaging conditions on their
way to restaurants and retailers.
Damage of the high-quality load from
temperature fluctuations was a very real
problem before the installation of Hanwell
iSense GPRS transmitters where innovative
self-contained units now enable remote
monitoring of diverse parameters via
wireless GPRS technology, ideal for the
trucks in remote locations.

Marcus also shared some of the key
work his team was carrying out to help
conserve The Mary Rose warship and how
the ship’s hull was contained inside a
sealed ‘hotbox’ with 30 environmental
monitoring sensors installed on and near
the hull, continuously checking and
recording temperature and humidity.
Eleanor Schofield from The Mary Rose
added: “It’s a vital part of the conservation
programme…measuring and reacting to
how changes in weather, visitor traffic and
so on affect the ship will continue to be
crucially important to the Mary Rose.”

Explaining the diverse uses of
monitoring technology, Marcus concluded
with a look at how DKSH Pharmaceutical
maintain temperature integrity across their
whole operation from storage to delivery,
revealing how they used Hanwell
high-powered radio technology to tackle
the challenge of finding a system that could
successfully transmit real-time critical
temperature data wirelessly to their local
PC/Network from inside a steel and
concrete drugs medicines safe almost two
feet thick! See the presentation here
www.the-imcgroup.com/TCLPresentation/
IMC has also given an extra boost to
their well-known international customer
service by adding a digital ‘just-in-time’
ordering facility for Group’s Hanwell, IceSpy
and ShockWatch and IMC brand products.
Customers are now able to browse,
select, order and pay for a vast range of

environmental monitoring products 24/7
with ultra-fast delivery when requested.
Anything from a box of Impact Indicators to
temperature and humidity Data Loggers are
now only the click of a mouse away!
IMC has a worldwide reputation for
providing the heritage, healthcare, industrial
and food sectors with intelligent monitoring
and control solutions via tailored
technology brands Hanwell, IceSpy,
ShockWatch and IMC that deliver vital data,
ranging from environmental parameters
such as temperature and humidity
through to the condition of goods and
infrastructure during operation, storage
and transportation.
“The new digital ordering portal has
opened up new opportunities for
customers to explore our products,” said
Managing Director Ian Robinson, “and given
an extra boost to our sales. Our products
and solutions surpass the strict regulations
enforced upon many industries and are
supported by our global dealer network.”
For more information, visit
www.the-imcgroup.com/shop/

Lighting

Goodlight T8 LED tubes
payback in 8-months
for Quorn Foods

L

ED Eco Lights today announced
that Quorn Foods, a leader in
meat alternative produce, has
replaced the fluorescent tubes
at its 13,000 sq. ft. Stokesley,
North Yorkshire manufacturing site with
high-performance, energy efficient T8 LED
tubes from the Goodlight™ range.
Quorn Foods achieved a payback on
the installation of the Goodlight T8 LED
tubes in just eight months, significantly
reducing their carbon footprint. The
Stokesley site is its principal manufacturing
site with six hundred staff operating four
production lines that create Quorn’s well
known range of healthy meat free foods.
Commenting, Derek Passmore,
Electrical Engineer at Quorn said,
“Goodlight gave us a four-fold advantage.
We’ve reduced our costs, reduced our
carbon footprint, reduced the
maintenance workload and improved the
working environment for our staff. It’s rare
to make everyone happy, but replacing
fluorescent tubes with Goodlight LED light
fittings has pleased management, staff and
made our lives easier. It was also quick,
easy and economic.”
Goodlight T8 tubes draw just 22W,
giving Quorn Foods a direct energy saving
of 60% compared to the 55W fluorescent
tubes that they replaced. On top of this,
Quorn achieved significant additional
energy savings from the reduction in the
load on the air conditioning systems. As
a food manufacturing site, Quorn Foods
needs to maintain the temperature on the
production floor at a consistent 10 degrees
C. Even when the outside temperature is
below this figure, the heat generated by
the machinery and the lighting means that
air-conditioning is required.
For Quorn Foods management, the
environmental impact matters as much as
the economics. Quorn believes its meat
alternative food products improve the
health of both its customers and the planet,
and it was the first global meat alternative
brand to achieve third party certification of
its carbon footprint figures. The reduction
in carbon footprint delivered by the
Goodlight T8 LED tubes was therefore
extremely attractive.

Installing the Goodlight LED tubes
was simplicity itself, according to Derek
Passmore. “The Goodlight tubes were an
exact replacement for the fluorescent lights
that we took out. We were fitting about ten
an hour. In a food production environment,
getting access to replace failed tubes is
always awkward, but the Goodlight tubes
are guaranteed for five years and rated at
50,000 hours, so we won’t need to look at
them again for a long time. We will also
no longer need to replace the diffusers.
In the past, these have gradually
deteriorated, become brittle and broken
due to the exposure to heat from the lights
– but with the efficient Goodlight LED tubes
this should no longer be an issue.”
Quorn Foods selected the daylight
colour temperature, and were delighted
with the improvement in the ambiance
on the production floor. Derek Passmore
concluded, “Goodlight T8 LED tubes give

a much cleaner, whiter light than the
fluorescent tubes that they replaced. Our
staff really appreciate the improvement in
their working environment. For example, it
is much easier now to assess the colour of
food samples. The fact that Goodlight
LED tubes are glass-free is an added
advantage.”
LED Eco Lights Goodlight T8 tubes
are a direct replacement for standard T8
fluorescent tubes, and are available in
daylight, natural and warm white colour
temperatures. They feature rotatable pins
for precise focussed lighting, and are
available with frosted or clear polycarbonate diffusers. Goodlight LED T8 tube
lamps are available in emergency versions
for use with battery back-up and are fully
dimmable.
www.ledecolights.com

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

23

Lighting

HAGER SURVEY ILLUMINATES WAY FORWARD
FOR LIGHTING CONTROLS MARKET

C

ommissioning ease, system
usability, energy efficiency
and the growing influence
of ‘Internet of Things’ to help
connectivity, are cited as the
primary drivers across the industry
A survey of electrical industry
professionals by Hager, in conjunction with
Electrical Review, looking at issues driving
the lighting control market has revealed a
number of key findings.
These include:
•
The growing importance of system
usability and ease of operation when it
comes to demonstrating product
solutions to clients.

•

The influence of interface design and
easier commissioning as important
factors when it comes to system
specification.
•
The need for consultants and clients
to work closer together on system
design at an earlier stage of the
specification process.
Opinion was also sought around
what the industry thought to be the most
important factors for a client looking to
commission a lighting project. These
were highlighted as the length of time it
took for a project to complete and the
cost of skilled labour.
Government initiatives in support of
improved energy efficiency performance
and the impact of BREEAM (a world leading
sustainability assessment method) were
also cited as important factors, though
there were low levels of awareness
associated with other schemes such as
EPBD (Energy Performance of Building
Directive) and ESOS (Energy Savings
Opportunity Scheme). A supplier’s
sustainability policy was also placed down
the list of priorities when clients looked to
select a partner on projects.
Finally, ‘The Internet of Things’ was
highlighted as a key driver for future
industry and product development. While

Survey reveals key
influencers for lighting
control market
connectivity and data access solutions are
set to play increasingly influential roles to
help optimise system performance,
according to respondents.
Ian Smith, Marketing Manager for
Hager comments: “This survey of electrical
contractors and engineers, thanks to the
help of Electrical Review, provided some
interesting pointers for how they see both
the current and future outlook for the
sector. With commissioning of lighting
now an integral part of requirements for
new buildings and major refurbishments,
it was perhaps no surprise to see this cited
as an important aspect when it comes to
fully realising the potential of any
lighting system.
“However, looking ahead the growing
influence of connectivity and data
management is also beginning to find
real traction and will affect all parts of the
supply chain from installers and design
consultants through to system solution
manufacturers.”

Easydis makes new LED lighting
45% more energy efficient with
Nedap light management

E

asydis, French retail
organisation Casino’s logistics
subsidiary, deploys Nedap’s
IoT light management platform
to make new LED lighting even
more economical and more sustainable.
Using Nedap light management, the
energy consumption of the lighting at
the Easydis location in Reventin-Vaugris,
France, has been reduced by 45%.
The Nedap light management system
provides wireless, demand-driven control
of the lighting, so luminaires are only lit
when and where needed, without
unnecessary waste of energy.

24

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

Future-proof lighting
system
Using the new intelligent lighting
system, Easydis has taken a big step in
the implementation of their sustainability
strategy. Because the system provides
continuous insight into the actual
consumption costs, new and improved
cost-saving strategies can be deployed.
Moreover, maintenance costs can be
demonstrably reduced.

Lighting

AURA LIGHT INTRODUCES
EASY-UPGRADE LED TUBES

A

ura Light has introduced
a new energy-efficient,
easy-install LED light
source to replace traditional
fluorescent tubes.
The OptiT8 is one of the latest additions
to Aura Lightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diverse range of products
that offer excellent light quality and
significant energy savings.
Designed to be a quick solution to
reduce costs of existing luminaire
installations, the OptiT8 is a retrofit solution
to replace T8 fluorescent tubes operated
by magnetic ballasts. This allows facility
managers to safely upgrade the existing
lighting scheme to LED technology with
minimal effort and no expensive
installation costs.
With a high output of 4000 lumens and
efficacy of up to 160 lumens per watt, Aura
Light has designed the OptiT8 to deliver a
high quality of light to improve the light
levels within the room. It is also a
particularly versatile option and can be
used for applications in offices,
supermarkets, retail, signs and cold

refrigerated areas, or anywhere where
fluorescent lighting is currently being used.
With excellent thermal and electrical design
features, all applications will benefit from a
full 50,000 hour system lifetime, supported
by a five year guarantee, which eliminates
all frequent maintenance or replacement
costs. The tubes are also equipped with 90Â°
rotatable end caps so users can fine-tune
the direction of light once it is installed.
Aura Light has used the latest LED
technology to ensure the OptiT8 achieves
its maximum performance and
capabilities. The tube incorporates a
reliable LED engine which helps to promote
the long life as well as an integrated driver
and heat sink which help to maintain the
quality of light throughout the lifetime.

The OptiT8 tubes are available in
1200mm and 1500mm lengths and a range
of colour temperatures, including 3000K,
4100K and 5000K with a CRI of more than
80. This range of colour temperatures
allows users to match their new light
source to the desired appearance,
including matching the same colour
temperature as the previous fluorescent
tubes whilst generating significant
energy savings.
Further information is available from
Aura Light on 01952 250800 by emailing:
simon.taylor@aura-light.co.uk or by visiting
www.aura-light.co.uk

Solar Power

Solar-powered PC
unveiledat eco-friendly
Merseyside school

A

school in Merseyside has
unveiled a new solar-powered
PC, courtesy of an award
winning North West
technology firm.
Extreme Low Energy (ELe), based in
Formby, completed the installation at St

Elizabeth’s RC Primary in Litherland ahead
of an event this week hosted by the school’s
Eco Council.
The Eco Council is made up of pupils at
St Elizabeth’s and they meet to discuss how
they can be greener and save energy in the
school.
In partnership with Barden Energy,
ELe has provided the school with an Intel
Celeron mini PC, a 19in LED monitor,
keyboard and mouse along with the
mini-solar panel which powers the
technology.
Caroline Clayton, operations director
for ELe, said: “ELe first heard about the
school’s Eco Council last autumn and wrote
to them to say how fantastic we thought
their projects like cycling to school and
recycling waste were.

“With help from Barden Energy we were
able to supply a PC and the solar panel
which will allow the students to harness the
sun’s energy and power the computer.
“It was great to see the faces of the
children and parents as the machine was
turned on for the first time, powered only
by the sun’s energy.”
St Elizabeth’s is the first solar-powered
PC ELe has fitted, although the company
is in talks to potentially install many more
in schools both here and in developing
countries.
For more information visit the website:
www.extremelowenergy.com

One fifth of local authorities look to invest in solar, but cite
lack of Government incentives as the main barrier

A

lthough demand is high, local
authorities across the UK are
having their hands tied by
reduced government
incentives, a Freedom of
Information request from the electronic
and solar specialist, LG Electronics has
revealed. This is against a backdrop of
slowing growth in solar deployment
across the UK, despite the cost of solar
panels dropping to an all-time low.
According to government figures*, solar
installation growth has reduced from 43%
in 2015 to 21% in 2016.
Nearly half (47%) of local authorities
said that reduced government incentives
over the last few years has been the main
barrier to solar investment. The next most
citied reason was the lack of capital to front
investment (23%), followed by a lack of
internal stakeholder buy in (6%).
Looking ahead, a concerning
majority (71%) of local authorities have no
strategy or plan towards solar investment
whatsoever. These councils do not have
solar technology incorporated within their
current environmental strategy and have
no specific targets or direction towards to a
solar deployment.

26

Additionally, most local authorities
(70%) have no plans to add to their solar
capacity for the next five years. In the next
six months, only 19% of local authorities
plan to invest, while 76% are not investing
in solar.
Demand for solar power is clear, with
84% of local authorities owning solar
panels. However, the research shows that
government cuts have had a severe and
long-lasting impact on the future
deployment of solar power across the
public sector. Several local authorities,
including Swindon, Cambridge, Barnsley
and Hounslow have proved solar projects
can be successful. In 2016, Hounslow
Council completed a solar installation
project on the roof of Western International
Market - in the first year alone, the project
is expected to reduce carbon emissions by
50% and earning the council £255,000
each year.
Bob Mills, UK Senior Sales Manager, LG
Electronics said, “Local solar projects have
been remarkably successful – saving money
and benefitting the wider community. In
today’s energy market, a 14% commercial
return on solar technology is consistently
met and therefore represents a no-brainer

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

for public sector decision-makers. These
projects can also set the wheels in motion
for future investment in renewables and
renewable technology. To find out that lack
of government support is the main barrier
to further investment, is deeply saddening.
Our research has revealed that the
Government’s policy towards solar is
ineffective and in some cases, completely
non-existent. Until there is a clarity on solar
strategy, we will continue to see public
money wasted on out-dated and
overpriced energy projects.”
Charles Pipe, Energy Manager at
London Borough of Hounslow stated,
“While the Government’s dramatic cuts
will impact solar deployment, there are
still options available to local authorities.
All energy installations must meet specific
criteria and have as close to a seven-year
payback as possible. Solar can meet this
and more – offering immediate savings
and the potential for more in the future.
For our project at Hounslow, we expect to
make several million in the next 20 years.
It can and does work, councils simply need
to understand that solar investment is no
longer a risk.”
*National Statistics ‘Solar photovoltaics
deployment’ report

Boilers & Burners

Top Tips for
Local Authorities
Considering
Boiler Hire

W

ith tight budgets and a
fluctuating demand for
heating and hot water
throughout the year,
local authority premises
such as schools, libraries and social
housing, can save a significant amount of

1.

2.
3.

energy and money by considering hiring
heating equipment. While some local
authorities install oversized heating
systems to cope with peaks in demand
throughout the year, others may have
an older and unreliable heating system
which is unable to cope. However, there

Balancing the books
Hiring equipment means its associated costs can be
kept off the balance sheet as the equipment doesn’t
technically belong to the local authority. This can
go a long way to finding a fast solution, especially
when budgets are tight. Hiring equipment avoids
capital expenditure which is an attractive option for
businesses lacking the funds for large upfront costs
of equipment. What’s more, hire packages tend to
cover the cost of maintenance and repairs (in most
circumstances), ensuring money is saved and freed
up to spend elsewhere.

Planned maintenance
A hire solution is ideal for back-up cover when
planned maintenance is taking place, such as in
school holidays, and will provide peace of mind that
normal operating conditions will be maintained while
work is scheduled for existing equipment.

Contingency planning for
emergency breakdown situations
You never know when an emergency may strike
or what type of incident it may be. Being prepared
is therefore very important and knowing the key
contacts for hire solutions to meet heating and
cooling needs should be an important component
of a contingency plan for local authority sites.

4.

5.

are efficient and affordable ways to tackle
the problems.
Russ Baker, UK Sales Director of the
hire division at ICS Cool Energy, outlines
five key tips for local authorities
considering boiler hire as an alternative
to an upfront purchase.

Changes in demand
Whether it’s the changing of the seasons, fluctuating
occupancy levels or additional demand for events
such as hosting a sporting competition at a leisure
centre, the need for heating and hot water in local
authority buildings changes throughout the year.
A hire solution can be installed to boost an
existing heating system to ensure that any increase
in demand is met, and the equipment can then be
removed when it is no longer required. This can be
arranged on a planned or emergency basis, with the
equipment sized depending on the individual need.

Sustainable solutions
Maintaining consistent conditions in an efficient
way is fast becoming a key priority for local
authority buildings such as schools, as well as any
facility which is coming under pressure to meet strict
energy efficiency targets. Hire equipment tends to
be the most efficient technology available, especially
when compared with pre-existing and sometimes
outdated installations, and is regularly maintained to
ensure it is running at optimum performance.
With one contact for the supply and maintenance of
temperature control, it is possible to source
equipment that can cope with peaks in demand
as well as the troughs. Whether on a planned or
emergency basis, hire should be seriously
considered by local authorities.

For more information about ICS Cool Energy,
please visit www.icscoolenergy.com

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

27

Water Management

is water supply
procurement within
your remit?
With the English Water Retail Market now open
for business you may switch water supplier
and negotiate better rates for your water
supply going forwards

I

f your business is a large water user
and therefore your annual water
spend is substantial the deals within
the first 3 years of market opening
will be in low single digits.
Large water uses will fall in many
categories for example, Leisure Parks,
Hotels, Leisure Clubs, Manufacture and
production facilities, Hospitals, Universities
these sites use anything from 30,000 cubic
metres. Which ever way you look at it single
digit discounts are of little significant value
and for the first 3 years of the UK water
market opening the discount will not make
any real tangible difference.
Forgetting of course any so called
added value services which the regulated
water companies will bundle in such as
water efficiency consultancy in an effort to
encourage you to switch and distract you
from the low discount offers, their hands
are well and truly tied until at least the next
OFWAT price review in 3 years time.
So what do you do? Take the best deal
on offer? Sit and wait for 3 years and
meanwhile continue to pay a high price
for your water. Paying for a large costly
creaking water supply infrastructure,
leaking millions of a valuable resource into
the ground on a daily basis, water that
travels miles through old copper, lead and
iron pipes, its a very costly operation.

There is another way!

A more environmentally friendly way,
no leaking pipes along the way to your
site, water that only travels a few metres
in most cases and is a minimum of 25%
less cost than the existing regulated water
companies can supply you and that’s just
for starters.

28

The Alternative Water Company
www.thealternativewatercompany.co.uk
was set up to initially supply large water
users providing a national water supply
service at 25% less than your incumbent
water company – yes you read it correctly
25% less!

Where does the water come
from?
Exactly the same place as the water
companies get it, below ground from
stores called aquifers.

What are aquifers?
Rain falls onto the ground and is
gradually absorbed by porous
underground rocks such as chalk,
limestone and sandstone. Once the water
us stored within these sponge like rocks
the water can move through pore spaces
towards springs, rivers or to the sea or it
can be pumped to the surface by drilling
boreholes into the aquifers and effectively
abstracting the water.
So you see the majority of the time the
water The Alternative Water Company
supply is from the same source, accept
its 25% – 30% less cost.
A few facts for you to consider.

What is water like straight
from an aquifer?

When the rain falls on the land it soaks
through travelling through rock formations
deep below the surface and filters to a very
high standard naturally and most of the
time water from these naturally purified
sources can be consumed immediately

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

without any chemical additives.

Why is this water so clean?
Three reasons, all life requires light,
oxygen and warmth, deep underground
there si no light and with an average
temperature of 6 degrees and very little
oxygen leads to pure natural water.

Why consider an
alternative water supply ?
•
•
•

Costs far less than your existing
water supplier.
More environmentally friendly.
Most of the time chemical free, no
additives such as chlorine,
fluorosilicate acid, aluminium
sulphate, calcium hydroxide,
sodium silicofluoride.

Now consider switching
water supplier to The
Alternative Water Company
– What is the process ?

Scan and email copies of your
last 12 months water bills to
info@thealternativewatercompany.co.uk,
shortly after receipt you will receive contact
from The Alternative Water Company team.
A desktop feasibility study will be
completed and a preliminary water
supply offer will be sent to your for your
consideration.
So when you are considering switching
water supply consider an alternative email
info@thealternativewatercompany.co.uk
or call 01924 387 874

Reducing water and waste water costs “It’s simple when you have the knowledge”

Water Strategy
Water Audit
Water Procurement

Centralise billing data
Compile a water and waste water database
Clean data base
Complete a water audit by identifying any historical water
company overcharging and undercharging
Identify and implement “low hanging fruit” – fixed and none variable charges
Water management – Drive down water consumption, benchmark sites,
compile high users list
Complete site surveys where applicable, compile written report containing
recommendations for reducing water costs
Implementation of recommendations
The Scottish and English water retail markets - procurement of Scottish
and English water supply contracts
Future water strategy – ongoing monitoring and water bill validation

www.h2obuildingservices.co.uk

Tel: 01924 387 873

Water Management

New paper released:
What happens when our
taps run dry?

I

n the developed world, expectation
is nothing less than a right. We open
the tap, and we expect clean
drinking water to flow. We switch on
the lights, and bulbs must illuminate.
We swim in waterways that must be safe
and free from bacteria. Many resources
that are critical for life are taken for
granted with little regard as to how the
water came to be in the tap or how the
power got to the bulb. But beneath the
surface hundreds of thousands of
kilometres of pipes and wires, connected
by a myriad of pumps and valves make
our cities habitable. Demand on these
systems is rising ever higher.
Communities typically give little
consideration to much of this critical
infrastructure until it is no longer available.
This occurred to 1.7 million residents
of South Australia on the evening of 29
September 2016 (ABC 2016), when severe
storms toppled power transmission towers
and left their state in blackout.
The resource supply systems
supplying our cities are currently pressed
from numerous sides.
Many cities are facing the possibility
that their infrastructure will run close to
breaking point unless a shift in thinking is
embraced. The confluence of urbanisation
coupled with climate change, all
superimposed on infrastructure that is
decades old, is demanding new thinking.
The sustainable water activist website,
Growing Blue, puts it like this: “Water is
critical to future growth. But it can also
become the major limiting factor to growth.
For instance, businesses in water-scarce
areas are already at risk, and so investors
are increasingly taking water supply into
consideration during their decision-making
processes. Given today’s approach to water
management, there is only so much growth
that can be sustained. Gains in efficiency
and productivity in water management
and utilisation can reduce these risks and
enable higher levels of sustainable growth,
but how much higher? How far-reaching
do those gains have to be?”
(GrowingBlue 2011)
Ongoing demands for upkeep and
expansion are expensive. As urbanisation
increases in the coming 20 years, a relevant
question is how can governments and
water authorities manage the

30

Digital technology allows us to
step back and ‘smart up’ around
the current cycle of water
consumption and wastage

compounding
pressures on limited
resources, coupled with the
adverse effects of climate
change?
About 40% of the
world’s population currently
lives in water-stressed areas (GrowingBlue
2011). With three
billion more people added to the planet
by 2050 (United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs 2015), water
scarcity will soon become a matter of life or
death (India 24X7 2016).
Ongoing demands for upkeep and
expansion have an eye watering price tag.
Water infrastructure is a multibillion-dollar
asset that, if we were currently to overhaul
and redo, would likely drain an entire city
budget. Sydney alone will spend $2.2 billion
on water infrastructure in the next four
years. As the tidal wave of urbanisation
increases in the coming 20 years, how can
Governments and water authorities
manage the compounding pressures on
limited resources, coupled with the adverse
effects of climate change? The public purse
and taxpayer pool will have to somehow
satisfy the living standards and
expectations to which communities have
become accustomed.
Water cannot be seen as an isolated
utility, but an integrated variable in the
quest to solve societies’ major problems.
The world of water in a decade’s time will
see people expect exactly the same level of
service (if not better), yet the problem will
have grown in complexity. More pipelines
are only a part solution. It’s a paradigm shift
that’s called for: the utility authorities will
need to change people’s behaviour through
better digital interaction with water.
If we fail to address the social mindsets
driving city planning up until now, our
problems will only get worse. But if we can
use the digital world to sidestep this static
analogue problem, we can turn crisis into
opportunity. Digital technology allows us
to step back and ‘smart up’ around the
current cycle of water consumption and
wastage. We can begin to see the grim
reality of limited supply as the ‘dark room’
of innovation, whereby bold new ideas can
be born to secure societal welfare in future
uncertain times.

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

Method: Moving from point
a to point b
Up until now, we have lived in an
analogue-based society. Our infrastructure
is essentially ‘dumb’, marked by physical
variables that function independently of
one another. But as digitalisation and
mobile technology continue to evolve at
pace, the systems and spaces we inhabit
will begin to catch up. Autonomous vehicles
represent 1%of the automotive market
worldwide today, but autonomous vehicles
will secure a 35% advantage by 2040, and
that will continue to rise (McDonnell 2016).
Equally, the flow of water through a city’s
network of steel and copper waterways
will someday be analysed and controlled
by smart grids. Our analogue world will
become digitised.
Current ‘unintelligent’ analogue systems
must be progressively transformed in order
to change user behaviours through their
enhanced interaction with the resource
they are consuming. Real-time predictive
analytics can draw the best out of our
limited water supply by offering simple,
intuitive, and meaningful insight into
unique infrastructure. This, in turn, can be
transferred into optimal and cost-effective
management strategies that keep the water
cycles healthy.

Getting one step ahead
Installing predictive maintenance
applications also offers a possible solution.
While the demand for freshwater is
increasing by 64 billion cubic metres
annually, the U.S. alone loses 2.1 trillion
gallons of treated water every year due to
pipe breaks, leakages and mismanagement.
This economic loss amounts to trillions,
with a consequential impact on food prices,
health and sanitation.
Connecting these assets into a realtime
monitoring network would reduce the time
it takes to discover and solve problems
that historically appear only when a leak is

Water Management
physically identified. Data can be applied
to motivate preventative maintenance and
mitigated risk into the future. Smart meters,
high-tech leak detection devices and water
data software are starting to offer
sophisticated and granular information
on how to maximise profit, impact and
environmental sustainability within water
management and distribution systems (GE
Water & Process Technologies 2016).
Imagine H2O’s annual global Water
Data Challenge (Furlong 2016) sees
promising startups that deliver water
focused data and analytics solutions
compete for $50,000 in cash awards. “It will
be impossible to tackle the global water
challenge without basic data about our
water resources,” said Tom Ferguson, VP
of Programming for Imagine H2O. “These
companies address some of the most
pressing data problems in water, from
utility process control to high accuracy
weather forecasting.” (Furlong 2016,
para. 2)
He went on to comment about this
year’s challenge: “A lack of actionable data
poses significant challenges to businesses,
landowners and governments managing
water resources globally. Entrepreneurs
responding to this problem are applying
advancements in sensors, artificial
intelligence, enterprise software and other
IT applications to the water sector.”
(Ferguson 2017, para. 2)
The 2016 finalists provide an incredible
demonstration of the power of water data
to change how we manage this resource
now and into the future. Here is what each
is doing in this space:
ANDalyze, an Illinois-based company
that produces water contamination testing
products that use catalytic DNA
technologies to detect and quantify
chemical levels.
APANA, which is developing a water
efficiency solution with analytics and
reporting functionality to help businesses
save money by saving water, reducing
compliance risk, and strengthening
operational sustainability.
Ayyeka, a startup based in Israel that
offers “plug-and-play” water, wastewater,
and environmental kits for the
management and cyber-secure protection
of infrastructure and resources.
Ceres Imaging, a startup currently
operating in California and Australia that
is offering end-to-end capture, processing,
and delivery of high-resolution spectral
imagery to help growers make important
resource allocation decisions by
demonstrating plant health without
selling them hardware.
FarmX, which monitors soil, plant
and environmental variables using its
FarmMap Soil Probe and provides real-time

analytics and precise recommendations
to increase productivity and reduce costs
by leveraging multiple data sources and
the use of advanced machine learning
processes.
FLUID, which is developing a water
meter and corresponding app that helps
people identify their water consumption
levels, progress toward reduction goals,
and detect leaks.
Ignitia, a Swedish startup working in
Ghana and elsewhere in West Africa to
deliver the most accurate forecasting
technology for tropical weather, which can
increase farm income by up to 80 percent.
Mapistry, a company offering a
comprehensive environmental compliance
platform for enterprises and facilities,
including a centralized dashboard,
State-specific forms, automatically
configured notifications, and other features.
NJBSoft, an Arizona-based company
offering regulatory compliance software
tools and needs-specific software
development, customization, integration,
training and implementation services
for civil and environmental engineering
activities.
Sourcewater, which is building an
online marketplace where energy
operators, service companies, and
landowners can buy, sell, recycle, treat,
and dispose of water.
Water authorities that adopt programs
of retrofitting these technologies on to their
existing networks will gain the benefit of
future-readying their infrastructure in the
face of ever increasing demand.

managing issues as complex as water
resources, tomorrow’s challenges are
already at our door. Only by changing
today’s approach to future water
management and water productivity
(economic output per drop) can we ensure
a prosperous future.” (GrowingBlue 2011)
We need to harness the power of
technology like never before if we want to
outwit ever increasing demands.
www.aurecongroup.com

Acknowledgement is given to John McGuire,
Chief Innovation Officer at Aurecon, for his inputs
into the thinking that went into this paper.

References:
•

•

•

•

•

Results and Discussion:
Contextualising the issue
An incremental approach to problem
solving is no longer viable within the
context of our interconnected digital world.
The water networks needs to be designed
and planned under the bigger theme of
climate change and urbanisation.
A drying climate and increasing demand
from population increase will not ultimately
be solved by throwing water solutions at
them. If we are to ensure waters sufficient
supply into the future, we have to adopt
new ways of designing, using data and
adopting digitised solutions to existing
networks to manage the network
intelligently. Smart cities are the only
solutions to buffer the oncoming high tide
of overpopulation.

•

•

•

•

•

•

Conclusion:
The sustainable water activist website,
Growing Blue, makes a compelling point:
“Given today’s accelerated pace of human
development and the slow pace of

n 23rd February 2017 the
Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial
Strategy (BEIS) published
the guidance for landlords
and enforcement authorities on the
minimum level of energy efficiency
required to let non-domestic property
under the Energy Efficiency (Private
Rented Property) (England and Wales)
Regulations 2015. This long awaited
guidance details the requirements against
which compliance of the minimum energy
efficiency standards (MEES) will be
measured and gives clarity to the
numerous unanswered questions many
have been asking since the legislation
was passed two years ago.
The Energy Efficiency Regulations aim
to tackle the least energy efficient
properties in England and Wales – those
rated F or G on Energy Performance
Certificates (EPC). The Regulations establish
a minimum standard of an E rating for
both domestic and non-domestic privately
rented property. By increasing the energy
efficiency of non-domestic stock, the
Government aims to increase energy
security whilst the demand for energy
efficiency measures is expected to support
growth and jobs within the green
construction industry and the wider supply
chain for energy efficiency products.
The guidance document has seen
several drafts before the final document
was published. There has been a great deal
of discussion around the interpretation of
the requirements of the regulations taking
into account the cosmic array of scenarios
under which a property can be leased. It is
great to see that many of the situations that
were put forward as potential lettings have
been addressed.

32

Some key areas that have been the
topic of much debate and are now included
in the guidance as a direct result of industry
feedback are as follows:
•
EPC Requirements – Where a
building is required to have an EPC
due to a sale, letting or modification
the landlord will be subject to
non-compliance penalties for not
registering a valid EPC. Where a
building is exempt from requiring
an EPC, or the need for a new EPC
has not been triggered, the building
will not be subject to the minimum
standards. There is no requirement to
obtain an EPC to comply with MEES.
•
Multiple EPCs for Buildings and
Demised Spaces – With regard to
multi-let properties, there are many
situations where EPCs are registered
and valid for both the entire building
and demised spaces within a building.
In such circumstances, the EPC for
the demised space will be the relevant
one. Where there is an EPC for the
whole building only and the demised
space does not require an individual
EPC, the certificate for the whole
building will be the relevant one.
•
Listed Building Requirements – It is
a popular misconception that all listed
buildings do not require an EPC. This
is only the case where the character
or appearance of the property would
be altered by compliance with the
energy performance requirements; for
example replacement glazing or solar
panel installations. It is for the owner
of such a property to seek appropriate
advice on the requirement for an EPC
for the building.
•
Responsibilities of Landlords and
Superior Landlords – It is clear that
anyone who lets a building or part of
a building on a qualifying lease must
comply. There will therefore be
occasions where tenants are also
landlords. In addition public bodies
and local authorities acting as
landlords will also be responsible
for compliance.
•
Green Deal Availability – There is
minimal reference to the Green Deal
in the guidance documentation.
However, there is clarification that as
the Green Deal funding was never

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

extended to commercial property
sector, it is not applicable to comply
at this time.
•
Lease Exclusions – The guidance is
clear that leases are exempt if granted
for six months or less where the
tenant has not been in situ for twelve
months or more and there is no
provision for renewal beyond six
months. In addition leases granted
for a term certain of 99 years or
more are also exempt.
•
Validity of EPCs – Where there is no
requirement to renew the EPC and
the EPC expires during the tenancy,
the property will not be required to
comply with MEES. This will become
of particular interest in 2023 as, if the
EPC has expired and there is no legal
trigger to renew it, the requirement to
comply with the minimum standards
will not be applicable as the
regulations state that compliance is
required where there is a valid EPC
in place.
The PRS Exemption Register will
open on 1st April 2017 and will be
available online for public viewing with
non-compliance also being published
through the platform.
Melanie Kendall-Reid, Compliance
Director at Carbon2018 commented: “We
have facilitated numerous debates with
our real estate clients on the requirements
of MEES, questioning the areas which
lack clarity and challenging requirements
that were impractical to comply with or
enforce. We provided the Government with
evidence-based feedback with practical
scenarios and case studies to reinforce the
messages. It is really positive to see the
Government have listened to the feedback.
The result is a guidance document which
is not only extensive in its explanations,
but also offers landlords the precision to
effectively make decisions relating to the
development of buildings and future proof
the value of their assets.”
The publication of the guidance is
welcomed at this time as it enables
landlords to take action now to ensure
compliance or register any exemptions by
the 2018 deadline.
www.carbon2018.com

Solar Power

Maximising solar returns for social housing
•
•

I

n pursuing their efforts to address
fuel poverty, many social housing
landlords face some unique
challenges in tackling the pressures
to keep rental and energy costs as
low as possible while complying with
increasingly stringent energy efficiency
standards.
Stirling Council is a case in point.
Scotland has introduced higher energy
efficiency standards – the Energy
Efficiency Standard for Social Housing
(EESSH), to which social landlords must
comply by 2020.
“Solar PV is the only viable technology
that will get us over the pass mark,” said
Gregor Wightman, Property & Private
Sector Housing Manager at Stirling Council.
“Our aim is to roll out solar PV to as many
properties as possible – although we are
limited by the challenges we face mixed
tenure tenements and stock located within
Conservation Areas.”
Stirling has already installed over 1,500
systems, giving it a portfolio of almost 4.8
MW to manage. The council is planning to
install PV to another 2,000 of its properties,
funding the project by supplementing its
Solar PV Capital Investment budget with
the feed-in tariff (FIT) payments it receives.
Residents who have solar arrays on their
properties save around £270 per year with
solar switch devices being installed in
off-gas areas and battery storage being
trialled in a number of properties.

Minimising downtime
Stirling Council launched its solar
programme in 2012, and was clear at the
outset that it would need to implement
remote monitoring to maximise returns and
minimise maintenance costs. It is crucial
that the solar arrays work at peak efficiency
to recoup the council’s
expenditure. From the outset of the solar
PV programme, its appointed contractor
at the time recommended PassivSystems’
products and services, and Stirling has used
its smart meters and associated services on
all installations since then.
“We depend on the PassivPro service to
alert us to when a PV array goes offline so

34

PassivPro solar monitoring platform minimises downtime to boost
yields by 5%
Metering helps tenants maximise self-consumption to reduce bills
that we can fix problems with a minimum
of downtime. Using its automated metering
facility removes the cost of having to send
staff to each property every three months
to get a meter reading,” continued Gregor.
“We also depend on the automated weekly
reports we generate to verify that individual
systems are performing to our expectations
and with the use of PassivPro Dual Element
Generation Meters, we can also remotely
monitor the self-consumption rates in
each property.”
As a result of using automated
monitoring, Stirling Council now includes
response times in the service levels it
agrees with its O&M partners.

Advanced metering
PassivSystems offers Stirling a
choice of meters, with its latest dual
element meter able to measure the power
generated and how much energy is
exported and calculate on-site consumption.
Using the dual element meter –
predominantly on its new properties, allows
Stirling to provide feedback to their tenants
about self-consumption levels and can aim
to maximise their benefit from the free solar
power they receive.
Because of the wiring implications,
Stirling can’t physically fit the dual element
meters to some of its older properties
– there simply isn’t enough wiring room
within the distribution board.
“As a social housing provider we’re
more accountable than private housing
developers,” stated Gregor. “Having
accurate information from the smart
meters enables us to report back to our
tenants and explain how they are benefiting
from our solar investment – that’s a
significant benefit to us.”

FIT Automation Services
Stirling Council has also benefitted
from the Feed-in-Tariff automation services
delivered by PassivSystems and sister
company and FIT Licensee, arto.energy
Limited.
The benefits of the service were clear
from the beginning to Stirling Council. It
enables both a simplified cloud-based
registration process for new solar PV
installations and fully automated quarterly
FIT meter read submissions for their
entire portfolio.
The results – a significant reduction in
workload by alleviating the administration of

Energy Manager Magazine • March 2017

managing FIT claims and registering
new systems have been quite tangible.
Managing multiple FIT licensees, read
submission dates, read failure resolution
and financial reconciliations was taking a
significant amount of time and resource
each month; switching to arto.energy has
almost eliminated this burden.
The system ensures that copies of all
documentation for new registrations are
stored securely and are verified.
Furthermore, meter reads are submitted
completely automatically without the need
for intervention from the council each
quarter. Potential failed reads are
communicated to the council for remedial
works. This ensures that at the end of each
quarterly levelisation period, the maximum
FIT revenue can be claimed.

Measurable results
Solar PV incorporates inherently
reliable technology – systems rarely break
down. Where automated monitoring really
helps is in identifying issues brought about
by tenants. Common faults include tenants
letting their pre-payment meters run out,
or not re-setting trip switches after a circuit
fault, or sometimes turning off the isolator
switch in error.
“As a result of using PassivSystems’
platform we’re probably getting another 5%
out of our whole portfolio,” claimed Gregor.
“That’s a financial benefit on top of the cost
savings we get from automating the meter
reading and streamlining the FIT process.”
“We’re very happy with what
PassivSystems gives us. As well as providing
good products, it also offers excellent
technical support. We can pick up the
phone and immediately talk to an expert
who will be fully up to speed with the
product. PassivSystems also understands
the commercial pressures that we work to
and have come up with a volume-based
business model that suits our needs.”
“PassivSystems is constantly developing
the product to improve its feature set –
and it has shown that it clearly understands
the unique challenges we face as a social
landlord. Investing in these technologies
and services is essential if we are to get the
best out of our microgeneration portfolio. It
also gives us a platform to develop new
approaches in the future. For example,
going to market with a power-purchase
agreement model where we forego the
diminishing FIT and instead sell power back
to the grid on the open market.”

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